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exordium

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

noun

plural

exordiums, exordia

  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

  • exordial adjective

Etymology

Origin of exordium

1525–35; < Latin exōrdium, equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + ōrd ( īrī ) to begin + -ium -ium

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.

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

From Literature

The purpose of the exordium is to put the audience into a receptive and attentive frame of mind.

From Literature

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

Having delivered this exordium, Wasson frankly confessed that the tribes which he represented were all justly chargeable with the war, and now deeply regretted their delinquency.

From Project Gutenberg

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.