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exordium

American  
[ig-zawr-dee-uhm, ik-sawr-] / ɪgˈzɔr di əm, ɪkˈsɔr- /

noun

  • exordiums,
    plural
  • exordia
    plural
  1. the beginning of anything.

  2. the introductory part of an oration, treatise, etc.


exordium British  
/ ɛkˈsɔːdɪəm /

noun

  1. an introductory part or beginning, esp of an oration or discourse

"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

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

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

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

I trembled violently at his exordium, and my father continued—

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

The chancellor paused--one white hand upon his hip--to mark the effect of his exordium.

From My Lords of Strogue, Vol. II (of III) A Chronicle of Ireland, from the Convention to the Union by Lewis Wingfield

After this weary exordium of theory, Tom, for which my apologies, let us turn to a bit of practice.

From Patroclus and Penelope A Chat in the Saddle by Theodore Ayrault Dodge

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

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

Now to the point," I cried; "for exordiums be tedious.

From The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6 A Monthly Eclectic Magazine by E. Rameur

Of all Eleanor's exordiums it is the one I most dread.

From Crucial Instances by Edith Wharton

That is contrary to received rules, which effects no one of those objects for the sake of which the rules concerning exordiums have been handed down.

From The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 4 by Marcus Tullius Cicero

Cold in his extemporaneous effusions, artificial in his exordiums, trifling in his strained raillery, and tiresome in his digressions.

From Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 1 by Isaac Disraeli

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

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