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exordium

[ig-zawr-dee-uh m, ik-sawr-]
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noun, plural ex·or·di·ums, ex·or·di·a [ig-zawr-dee-uh, ik-sawr-] /ɪgˈzɔr di ə, ɪkˈsɔr-/.
  1. the beginning of anything.
  2. the introductory part of an oration, treatise, etc.
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Origin of exordium

1525–35; < Latin exōrdium, equivalent to ex- ex-1 + ōrd(īrī) to begin + -ium -ium
Related formsex·or·di·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for exordium

Historical Examples

  • Every Speyside man will recognise from this exordium that I am about to treat of "Geordie."

    Camps, Quarters and Casual Places

    Archibald Forbes

  • Every one present laughed at the exordium (and there the matter dropped).

  • Fuller looked a little scared at this exordium, but Rachel did not notice him.

    Aunt Rachel

    David Christie Murray

  • Similarly, in the case of speeches, the exordium is prior in order to the narrative.

  • Your exordium was so singularly clear, that I did not understand you before.

British Dictionary definitions for exordium

exordium

noun plural -diums or -dia (-dɪə)
  1. an introductory part or beginning, esp of an oration or discourse
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Derived Formsexordial, adjective

Word Origin

C16: from Latin, from exōrdīrī to begin, from ōrdīrī to begin
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