articulated

American  

[ahr-tik-yuh-ley-tid] / ɑrˈtɪk yəˌleɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. made clear or distinct.

   articulated sounds.

2. having a joint or joints; jointed.

   an articulated appendage.

3. (of a vehicle) built in sections that are hinged or otherwise connected so as to allow flexibility of movement.

   an articulated bus; an articulated locomotive.

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Other Word Forms

• multiarticulated adjective
• unarticulated adjective
• well-articulated adjective

Etymology

Origin of articulated

First recorded in 1545–55; articulate + -ed ²

Explanation

Something is articulated if it's made of sections connected by joints. Articulated limbs have bones that bend where they join, at an elbow or a wrist for example. Human bodies are full of articulated sections, with joints at the knees, hips, shoulders, and so on. You can also describe an object as articulated if it's made up of pieces that connect in flexible segments. A long train can be composed of articulated cars. Articulated comes from the verb articulate, "to divide into distinct parts," from the Latin articulare, "separate into joints," and the Latin root articulus, "joint."

Example Sentences

In all of these publications, the politics are implicit, carried by the authors’ public personas rather than articulated through sustained argument.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

Rezaie recently articulated a similar stance in relation to the continuing conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

And Nasa has at last articulated a credible plan to build on this moment rather than wait three years and start again.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Warnings are coming from many quarters, but two voices have articulated their concerns this week.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Munger’s remarks articulated a great deal of what Mike Burry, too, believed about markets and the people who comprised them.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• articulate
• choral
• operatic
• verbal