enunciate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
enunciates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enunciated,
past participle, past
-
enunciating
present participle
-
to utter or pronounce (words, sentences, etc.), especially in an articulate or a particular manner.
He enunciates his words distinctly.
-
to state or declare definitely, as a theory.
-
to announce or proclaim.
to enunciate one's intentions.
verb (used without object)
-
enunciates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enunciated,
past participle, past
-
enunciating
present participle
verb
-
to articulate or pronounce (words), esp clearly and distinctly
-
(tr) to state precisely or formally
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
enunciabilitynoun
-
enunciationnoun
-
enunciatornoun
-
reenunciateverb
-
enunciableadjective
-
enunciativeadjective
-
enunciatoryadjective
-
nonenunciativeadjective
-
nonenunciatoryadjective
-
unenunciableadjective
-
unenunciatedadjective
-
unenunciativeadjective
-
enunciativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
enunciatesimple
-
enunciatessimple
-
have enunciatedperfect
-
has enunciatedperfect
-
am enunciatingprogressive
-
are enunciatingprogressive
-
is enunciatingprogressive
-
have been enunciatingperfect progressive
-
has been enunciatingperfect progressive
Past
-
enunciatedsimple
-
had enunciatedperfect
-
was enunciatingprogressive
-
were enunciatingprogressive
-
had been enunciatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enunciate
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 -ate 1)
Explanation
Can't get your point across? Maybe you just need to speak more clearly or articulate your thoughts better — in short, enunciate. Good enunciation is similar to pronunciation, but describes more specifically how clearly someone expresses themselves. The word enunciate is related to the Latin words for both "announce" and "messenger." So most likely those ancient Romans who created the word wanted a messenger who could announce things without mumbling, grumbling, and rambling.
Vocabulary lists containing enunciate
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Tongues Untied: The Lingo of Linguistics
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Did you find yourself making more of an effort to enunciate?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Compassionate means you care about people and the policies you enunciate help people .
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
The coordinator, too, wants Howell to “over-communicate” and enunciate clearly so that teammates don’t miss a word, Howell says.
From Washington Times ● May 31, 2023
He doesn't think screen acting has changed much over the decades but he does have a grumble about "mumbling" - actors who fail to enunciate their lines.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2023
“I’m sorry,” I said, “but I don’t understand you. Could you please repeat yourself and enunciate a little bit better.”
From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
Constitution, which enunciates the right to a “speedy and public trial” and to “be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation.”
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2024
Chandrasekhar admitted he was no Jacques Bailly, the University of Vermont classics professor who has been the competition’s official pronouncer since 2003 and enunciates each word with a vaguely Midwestern intonation.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 2, 2022
On my favorite part of “Exactly How I Feel,” featuring Gucci Mane, in which Lizzo idiosyncratically enunciates the title phrase while a high whistle rises in the background, unless that’s just a boiling kettle.
From Slate ● Apr. 22, 2019
The cast, a multiethnic ensemble as it is in all “Hamilton” productions, enunciates more precisely than their American counterparts.
From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2018
“A pi-a-nist,” he enunciates, sauntering into the music room.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
But I also want it to be very enunciated and I wanted you to hear what I was saying, but also feel it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2024
Besides, if you live awhile and read a lot of history and literature, you come to recognize a harsh truth memorably enunciated in Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2023
“Jamie Lee Curtis,” producer DeVon Franklin enunciated loudly into the mic.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2023
In the overly enunciated voice of the pretentious intellectual she had perfected in her stand-up, she said with a dismissive flip of her hand: “I don’t participate in the economy of distinction.”
From New York Times ● Aug. 23, 2022
Darlene cleared her throat and enunciated carefully, “There sure was plenty beaux at the bowl, honey, but I still got me honor.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
She would sit with me for hours on the couch, pointing to words in books and magazines, and patiently enunciating them, bantering with me in an inexhaustible volley of puns, spoonerisms and goofy double entendres.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 12, 2023
On the recent palace visit, at times he leaned forward into a reporter’s recording device, enunciating his talking points.
From New York Times ● Jun. 9, 2023
An LDS church spokesman later said the organization was not endorsing specific legislation but rather Mr. Bednar was enunciating “guiding principles” on the matter.
From Washington Times ● May 26, 2022
He used an exaggerated tone, enunciating the “er” at the end of the word rather than using the “a” pronunciation, which is more commonly accepted among and used by Black people, studies have shown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2021
“But,” he says, enunciating very slowly, “what about the collections that are not on public display?”
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
