enunciate

[ ih-nuhn-see-eyt ]
See synonyms for: enunciateenunciatedenunciatory on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),e·nun·ci·at·ed, e·nun·ci·at·ing.
  1. to utter or pronounce (words, sentences, etc.), especially in an articulate or a particular manner: He enunciates his words distinctly.

  2. to state or declare definitely, as a theory.

  1. to announce or proclaim: to enunciate one's intentions.

verb (used without object),e·nun·ci·at·ed, e·nun·ci·at·ing.
  1. to pronounce words, especially in an articulate or a particular manner.

Origin of enunciate

1
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ēnūntiātus (past participle of ēnūntiāre ), equivalent to ē- “from, out of” (see e-1) + nūnti(us) “messenger, message” + -ātus suffix (see -ate1)

Other words from enunciate

  • e·nun·ci·a·ble, adjective
  • e·nun·ci·a·bil·i·ty, noun
  • e·nun·ci·a·tive, e·nun·ci·a·to·ry, adjective
  • e·nun·ci·a·tive·ly, adverb
  • e·nun·ci·a·tor, noun
  • non·e·nun·ci·a·tive, adjective
  • non·e·nun·ci·a·to·ry, adjective
  • re·e·nun·ci·ate, verb, re·e·nun·ci·at·ed, re·e·nun·ci·at·ing.
  • un·e·nun·ci·a·ble, adjective
  • un·e·nun·ci·at·ed, adjective
  • un·e·nun·ci·a·tive, adjective

Words that may be confused with enunciate

Words Nearby enunciate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use enunciate in a sentence

  • They do not enunciate a new truth, but they insist upon one which is not sufficiently recognised.

    Charles Baudelaire, His Life | Thophile Gautier
  • "I—I do not know," said Marishka painfully struggling to make her lips enunciate.

    The Secret Witness | George Gibbs
  • She is taught to enunciate clearly and to speak courteously and agreeably.

    The Canadian Girl at Work | Marjory MacMurchy
  • The pianist must likewise make himself understood; he therefore must enunciate clearly.

    Piano Mastery | Harriette Brower

British Dictionary definitions for enunciate

enunciate

/ (ɪˈnʌnsɪˌeɪt) /


verb
  1. to articulate or pronounce (words), esp clearly and distinctly

  2. (tr) to state precisely or formally

Origin of enunciate

1
C17: from Latin ēnuntiāre to declare, from nuntiāre to announce, from nuntius messenger

Derived forms of enunciate

  • enunciation, noun
  • enunciative or enunciatory, adjective
  • enunciatively, adverb
  • enunciator, noun

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