elocution
Americannoun
-
a person's manner of speaking or reading aloud in public.
The actor's elocution is faultless.
-
the study and practice of oral delivery, including the control of both voice and gesture.
noun
Other Word Forms
- elocutionary adjective
- elocutionist noun
Etymology
Origin of elocution
1500–10; < Latin ēlocūtiōn- (stem of ēlocūtiō ) a speaking out, equivalent to ē- e- 1 + locūtiōn- locution
Explanation
If you're particularly good at elocution, or speaking clearly and expressively, you may have a successful career in radio ahead of you. Elocution is the skill of pronouncing your words correctly. There are even elocution coaches for actors, singers, or anyone else who wants to improve theirs. Elocution sometimes describes a particular style of speaking, like an announcer's elocution that sounds like he's from the Bronx. The Latin elocutionem is its root, meaning "manner of expression;" in Classical Latin it meant public speaking or oratory.
Vocabulary lists containing elocution
The Great Gatsby
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Pygmalion
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Save Me a Seat
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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.
When he did, he held the floor with effortless elocution.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2025
So they sent me to elocution, which was boring, but eventually it was speech and drama classes.
From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2023
The comic actor, who often played well-spoken English gentlemen-type roles, was born in Tottenham, north-east London in 1924 and received elocution lessons as a child to correct his cockney accent.
From Reuters • Nov. 8, 2022
During her premiership from 1979 to 1990, the politician took elocution lessons to lower her voice to half the average difference in pitch between a man and woman's voice.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2022
Dorcas recognizes her partner as Martin, who had been in her elocution class for a hot minute—which was as long as it took for the teacher to realize he would never relinquish “ax” for “ask.”
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
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.
