articulation

[ ahr-tik-yuh-ley-shuh n ]

/ ɑrˌtɪk yəˈleɪ ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR articulation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an act or the process of articulating: the articulation of a form; the articulation of a new thought.

Phonetics.

the act or process of articulating speech.
the adjustments and movements of speech organs involved in pronouncing a particular sound, taken as a whole.
any one of these adjustments and movements.
any speech sound, especially a consonant.

the act of jointing.

a jointed state or formation; a joint.

Botany.

a joint or place between two parts where separation may take place spontaneously, as at the point of attachment of a leaf.
a node in a stem, or the space between two nodes.

Anatomy, Zoology. a joint, as the joining or juncture of bones or of the movable segments of an arthropod.

Dentistry.

the positioning of teeth in a denture, usually on an articulator, for correct occlusion.
the bringing of opposing tooth surfaces into contact with each other.
the relations of the upper and lower natural or artificial teeth in occlusion.

a measure of the effectiveness of a telephonic transmission system in reproducing speech comprehensibly, expressed as the percentage of speech units uttered that is correctly understood.

Nearby words

Origin of articulation

1400–50; late Middle English articulacio(u)n < Middle French < Latin articulātiōn-, stem of articulātiō. See articulate, -ion

Related forms

ar·tic·u·la·to·ry

[ahr-tik-yuh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /ɑrˈtɪk yə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjectivear·tic·u·la·to·ri·ly, adverbmis·ar·tic·u·la·tion, nounre·ar·tic·u·la·tion, noun

sub·ar·tic·u·la·tion, nounun·ar·tic·u·la·to·ry, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for articulation

ALEC: The writing is so smart and well crafted that articulation is critical.
Alec Baldwin & Robert Carlock On How They Made '30 Rock' So Funny|Alec Baldwin, Robert Carlock|February 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It's not like Kanye brought the articulation either when he apologized on his website.
Leave Kanye Alone|Choire Sicha|September 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The strange rising and falling song was its own voice, the articulation of the very heart and soul of the wilderness.
The Voice of the Pack|Edison Marshall
It will belong primarily to the personal life of its creator, as the articulation of his personal covenant with the universe.
The Approach to Philosophy|Ralph Barton Perry

The ends of the transverse processes of the eighth and ninth vertebræ are emarginate for the articulation of the ribs.
The Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphidae|Frederick True
His deportment was that of a man whose rage had risen above his control, and overwhelmed all power of articulation.
Tales from "Blackwood"|Various
The articulation was speedily perfected; yet there was no success at all in the repetition of French nasal sounds.
The Mind of the Child, Part II|W. Preyer

British Dictionary definitions for articulation

articulation

/ (ɑːˌtɪkjʊˈleɪʃən) /

noun

the act or process of speaking or expressing in words

the process of articulating a speech sound
the sound so produced, esp a consonant

the act or the state of being jointed together

the form or manner in which something is jointed

zoology

a joint such as that between bones or arthropod segments
the way in which jointed parts are connected

botany the part of a plant at which natural separation occurs, such as the joint between leaf and stem

a joint or jointing

Derived Formsarticulatory, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for articulation

articulation

early 15c., "a joint or joining; setting of bones," from Old French articulation, from Medieval Latin articulationem (nominative articulatio) "separation into joints," noun of action from past participle stem of articulare "to separate (meat) into joints," also "to utter distinctly," from articulus, diminutive of artus "joint" (see article).

Medicine definitions for articulation

articulation

[ är-tĭk′yə-lā′shən ]

n.

The place of anatomical union, usually movable, between two or more bones.

A joining or connecting together loosely so as to allow motion between the parts.

Distinct connected speech or enunciation.

The contact relationship of the occlusal surfaces of the teeth during jaw movement.

Placement of artificial teeth on a denture base so that the teeth approximate normal position and contact.

Science definitions for articulation

articulation

[ är-tĭk′yə-lā′shən ]

The arrangement of parts connected by joints.

A fixed or movable joint between bones.

A movable joint between inflexible parts of the body of an animal, as the divisions of an appendage in arthropods.

A joint between two separable parts, as a leaf and a stem.

articulation

noun

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Origin of articulation

Examples from the Web for articulation

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