peroration

[per-uh-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. a long speech characterized by lofty and often pompous language.

2. Rhetoric.,  the concluding part of a speech or discourse, in which the speaker or writer recapitulates the principal points and urges them with greater earnestness and force.

peroration

/ ˌpɛrəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. rhetoric the conclusion of a speech or discourse, in which points made previously are summed up or recapitulated, esp with greater emphasis

Other Word Forms

• perorational adjective
• perorative adjective
• peroratorical adjective
• peroratorically adverb
• peroratory noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of peroration¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin perōrātiōn- (stem of perōrātiō ) the closing of a speech. See perorate, -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of peroration¹

C15: from Latin perōrātiō, from perōrāre, from _per- (thoroughly) + orāre to speak

Example Sentences

Before Churchill told the British in his celebrated peroration that "we shall never surrender," he had not spared them from the truth that they had suffered a "colossal military disaster".

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He was the very archetype of a Supreme Court orator, engaging in booming perorations and lightning-fast exchanges with the judges.

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Frank came to the stage with a detailed two-page peroration and zero intention of editing what he had to say.

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I did not see Lillard’s peroration live on TV but a day later, on Twitter, where it played in heavy rotation, accompanied by sentiments like “class act” and “no better role model.”

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“Greetings, conversationalists across the fruited plain,” he began in one of his stream-of-consciousness perorations from the bunker, an American flag dangling in the corner.

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Related Words

• afterword 
• coda 
• postscript 
• summation