speak for
Britishverb
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to speak as a representative of (other people)
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to be so evident that no further comment is necessary
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informal (used as an imperative) do not presume that other people agree with you
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Intercede for, recommend, as in He spoke for the young applicant, commending her honesty . [c. 1300]
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Express the views of, as in I can't speak for my husband but I'd love to accept , or I don't care what Harry thinks—Speak for yourself, Joe . [c. 1300]
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speak for itself . Be significant or self-evident, as in They haven't called us in months, and that speaks for itself . [Second half of 1700s]
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spoken for . Ordered, engaged, or reserved, as in This lot of rugs is already spoken for , or Is this dance spoken for? This usage comes from the older verb, bespeak , meaning “to order.” [Late 1600s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A well-funded brokerage account does not automatically grant someone the legal right to speak for you in an emergency room.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
Pictures of the mess, which included 10 tonnes of rubble, speak for themselves.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Heifetz said that she doesn’t presume to speak for Butler, and knows she didn’t come to decisions lightly.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
Although I no longer get breathless when talking, thanks to voice therapy, I lose my voice completely if I speak for too long.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026
“I boldly entered...politics and business and exercised the rights I already possessed. I therefore claim the right to speak for the...women of the country...and I now announce myself as a candidate for the Presidency.”
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
