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

He never had a good reason for going to war—or at least never articulated a consistent reason.

From Slate • May 18, 2026

Needless to say, this type of graphically articulated exchange wouldn’t work if the performances didn’t land.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

That famous wording is itself a tell, a rhetorical device pointing to the fact that the emerging revolution’s values needed to be articulated in writing.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 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

She articulated exactly how long since Maddie had piloted a plane, a known tact.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• articulate
• choral
• operatic
• verbal