oration
Americannoun
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a formal public speech, especially one delivered on a special occasion, as on an anniversary, at a funeral, or at academic exercises.
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a public speech characterized by a studied or elevated style, diction, or delivery.
- Synonyms:
- declamation, discourse
noun
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a formal public declaration or speech
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any rhetorical, lengthy, or pompous speech
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an academic exercise or contest in public speaking
Related Words
See speech.
Etymology
Origin of oration
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English oracion, from Latin ōrātiōn- (stem of ōrātiō ) “speech, prayer,” equivalent to ōrāt(us), (past participle of ōrāre “to plead,” derivative of ōr-, stem of ōs “mouth”) + -iōn- noun suffix; see -ion
Explanation
An oration is a formal speech given in public. You might give the oration at the big party celebrating your grandparents’ 50th anniversary. If you’re giving an oration, make sure you show up prepared. An oration is a speech that’s planned in advance rather than made up on the spot. It usually has a formal tone and is presented at a ceremony of some kind. You probably remember nervously sitting through an oration at your graduation ceremony, or you may have listened to a funeral oration celebrating the life of a famous person.
Vocabulary lists containing oration
Memorial Day Words
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Julius Caesar
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Ancient Greece - Introductory
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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.
Join me live @BrownUniversity as I deliver the Commencement Oration to 2022 graduates and receive an honorary doctorate degree.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2022
Meter is central to the final section of the exhibition, “Repeat After Me ... Oration and Recitation.”
From New York Times • Mar. 10, 2016
He will receive a stipend of $18,500 per year and an additional $60 to make the Creweian Oration to thank the university’s benefactors, a speech traditionally delivered in Latin.
From New York Times • Jul. 10, 2015
I would dearly have loved to find a home for Bridge's late masterpiece for cello and orchestra, Oration, and the remarkable third and fourth string quartets.
From The Guardian • Aug. 4, 2011
“It may not have been a Great Oration, but at least there was plenty of it,” she thought with pride as she trotted toward the chicken coop.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
