exordium
Americannoun
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exordiums,
plural
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exordia
plural
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the beginning of anything.
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the introductory part of an oration, treatise, etc.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of exordium
1525–35; < Latin exōrdium, equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + ōrd ( īrī ) to begin + -ium -ium
Vocabulary lists containing exordium
Rhetoric
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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.
See Examples For:
Their invitation Dr. Fosdick expressed in a great exordium: The great east window of Chicago's Fourth Presbyterian Church has long needed proper furbishing in stained glass.
From Time Magazine Archive
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I trembled violently at his exordium, and my father continued—
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
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The purpose of the exordium is to put the audience into a receptive and attentive frame of mind.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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Humphrey had sat silent under this exordium, his head bent and his eyes on the ground.
From The Honour of the Clintons by Archibald Marshall
The exordium was promising, and Clovis plucked up his spirits.
From The Maid of Honour (Vol. 3 of 3) A Tale of the Dark Days of France by Lewis Wingfield
Matteo is valuable for the general reflections which form exordia to the eleven books that bear his name.
From Renaissance in Italy, Volume 1 (of 7) The Age of the Despots by John Addington Symonds
They were seeking to catch some lyric exordia as they flew by immersed in the billows of the air.
From The Eleven Comedies, Volume 1 by Aristophanes
I imagine that this sacred influence, under the name of Amphi, is often alluded to in the exordia of Poets, especially by the writers in Dithyrambic measure, when they address Apollo.
From A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume I. by Jacob Bryant
But in the exordia and perorations to the several books, as well as in sundry digressions, may be found matter of greater value, embodying the poet's views on the great questions of philosophy.
From The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius by Charles Thomas Cruttwell
In that highflown oratory, with its carefully studied exordiums, periods and perorations can be clearly discerned the reverence given to power as embodied by possession of property.
From History of the Great American Fortunes, Vol. I Conditions in Settlement and Colonial Times by Myers Gustavus
Some, when in ryme they of their Loues doe tell, With flames and lightning their exordiums paynt: Some inuocate the Gods, some spirits of Hell, And heauen, and earth doe with their woes acquaint.
From Minor Poems of Michael Drayton by Cyril Brett
The defence has already been made by an illustrious hand for Fielding's inter-chapters and exordiums.
From Joseph Andrews Vol 1 by Henry Fielding
"I will say no more if you talk of exordiums and anti-climaxes," cried he.
From Tales and Novels — Volume 10 by Maria Edgeworth
As therefore all orators make use of introductory remarks to get the benevolent attention of their audience, so our poet makes use of exordiums fitted to move and reach the hearer.
From Complete Works of Plutarch — Volume 3: Essays and Miscellanies by Plutarch
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