eloquence
Americannoun
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the practice or art of using language with fluency and aptness.
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eloquent language or discourse.
a flow of eloquence.
noun
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ease in using language to best effect
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powerful and effective language
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the quality of being persuasive or moving
Other Word Forms
- noneloquence noun
- supereloquence noun
Etymology
Origin of eloquence
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin ēloquentia, from ēloquent-, stem of ēloquēns “speaking out” ( see eloquent) + -ia -y 3; cf. -ence
Explanation
Eloquence is powerful, moving, magnificent use of language. Simply put, if you have eloquence, then you're one smooth talker. The noun eloquence has roots in the Latin word eloqui, meaning to "speak out." But we're not talking about just any regular speech here. Eloquence is marked by fluency, persuasiveness, and the power to stir emotions. The eloquence of your dog trainer’s empowering speech about the need for complementary manicures and pedicures for pets might bring you to tears, for example.
Vocabulary lists containing eloquence
Fences
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"Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad," Vocabulary from the biography
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"Another Place, Another Time," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
One of the concerto highlights of Dudamel’s music directorship in L.A. is a performance, eight years ago, of the concerto’s mood-shifting eloquence, for which he and Mitsuko Uchida were in wondrous accord.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
The two-hour documentary includes interviews with Carrey and O’Brien, as well as “Only Murders in the Building” stars Steve Martin and Martin Short, a duo deeply influenced by Van Dyke’s blend of eloquence and acrobatics.
From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025
Don't win games and the eloquence of the greatest orator will not save him.
From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025
“They are euphoric,” he writes in “Hostage,” a book of startling eloquence, unimaginable anguish and exceptionally restrained rage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025
I imagined myself making a speech and caught in striking poses by flashing cameras, snapped at the end of some period of dazzling eloquence.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
