articulate
uttered clearly in distinct syllables.
capable of speech; not speechless.
using language easily and fluently; having facility with words: an articulate speaker.
expressed, formulated, or presented with clarity and effectiveness: an articulate thought.
made clear, distinct, and precise in relation to other parts: an articulate form; an articulate shape; an articulate area.
(of ideas, form, etc.) having a meaningful relation to other parts: an articulate image.
having parts or distinct areas organized into a coherent or meaningful whole; unified: an articulate system of philosophy.
Zoology. having joints or articulations; composed of segments.
to utter clearly and distinctly; pronounce with clarity.
Phonetics. to make the movements and adjustments of the speech organs necessary to utter (a speech sound).
to give clarity or distinction to: to articulate a shape; to articulate an idea.
Dentistry. to position or reposition (teeth); subject to articulation.
to unite by a joint or joints.
to reveal or make distinct: an injection to articulate arteries so that obstructions can be observed by x-ray.
to pronounce clearly each of a succession of speech sounds, syllables, or words; enunciate: to articulate with excessive precision.
Phonetics. to articulate a speech sound.
Anatomy, Zoology. to form a joint.
Obsolete. to make terms of agreement.
a segmented invertebrate.
Origin of articulate
1synonym study For articulate
word story For articulate
Articulate comes from Latin articulātus, the past participle of articulāre “to divide into separate, distinct parts,” a derivative of the noun articulus “joint (of a body), point (of time), clause or section (of a contract or law), a single word in a phrase, clause, or sentence pronounced by itself, a pronoun or pronominal adjective, an article (definite or indefinite).”
As for the last definition, “an article (definite or indefinite, such as the or a in English),” the great, usually levelheaded Roman rhetorician Quintilian wrote Noster sermō articulōs nōn dēsīderat (“Our language does not desire articles”). Quintilian was contrasting Latin, which indeed had no articles, with Greek, which had a fully inflected definite article for all genders, numbers, and cases. Quintilian is proven wrong by the definite and indefinite articles in all the Romance languages.
Other words for articulate
Opposites for articulate
Other words from articulate
- ar·tic·u·la·ble [ahr-tik-yuh-luh-buhl], /ɑrˈtɪk yə lə bəl/, adjective
- ar·tic·u·late·ly, adverb
- ar·tic·u·late·ness, ar·tic·u·la·cy [ahr-tik-yuh-luh-see], /ɑrˈtɪk yə lə si/, noun
- ar·tic·u·la·tive [ahr-tik-yuh-ley-tiv, -luh-tiv], /ɑrˈtɪk yəˌleɪ tɪv, -lə tɪv/, adjective
- mis·ar·tic·u·late, verb, mis·ar·tic·u·lat·ed, mis·ar·tic·u·lat·ing.
- mul·ti·ar·tic·u·late, adjective
- non·ar·tic·u·late, adjective
- non·ar·tic·u·late·ly, adverb
- non·ar·tic·u·late·ness, noun
- non·ar·tic·u·la·tive, adjective
- o·ver·ar·tic·u·late, adjective
- o·ver·ar·tic·u·late, verb, o·ver·ar·tic·u·lat·ed, o·ver·ar·tic·u·lat·ing.
- pre·ar·tic·u·late, adjective
- pseu·do·ar·tic·u·late, adjective
- pseu·do·ar·tic·u·late·ly, adverb
- re·ar·tic·u·late, verb, re·ar·tic·u·lat·ed, re·ar·tic·u·lat·ing.
- sem·i·ar·tic·u·late, adjective
- sem·i·ar·tic·u·late·ly, adverb
- sub·ar·tic·u·late, adjective
- sub·ar·tic·u·late·ly, adverb
- sub·ar·tic·u·late·ness, noun
- sub·ar·tic·u·la·tive, adjective
- un·ar·tic·u·late, adjective
- un·ar·tic·u·late·ly, adverb
- un·ar·tic·u·la·tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use articulate in a sentence
In Molluscs the sack-shaped and non-articulate body is the distinguishing feature.
The History of Creation, Vol. I (of 2) | Ernst HaeckelIt is a striking fact that certain of these non-articulate “lamp-shells” are familiar inhabitants of our present seas.
British Dictionary definitions for articulate
able to express oneself fluently and coherently: an articulate lecturer
having the power of speech
distinct, clear, or definite; well-constructed: an articulate voice; an articulate document
zoology (of arthropods and higher vertebrates) possessing joints or jointed segments
to speak or enunciate (words, syllables, etc) clearly and distinctly
(tr) to express coherently in words
(intr) zoology to be jointed or form a joint
(tr) to separate into jointed segments
Origin of articulate
1Derived forms of articulate
- articulately, adverb
- articulateness or articulacy, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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