exordium
Americannoun
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the beginning of anything.
-
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
I trembled violently at his exordium, and my father continued—
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
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
The exordium was bad enough; he hastened towards the end of the business.
From The Slaves of the Padishah by J?kai, M?r
This exordium will serve as a specimen of the “sarment,” as it continued in the same strain to the end of the peroration.
From The Iron Furnace Slavery and Secession by Aughey, John H.
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 Cruttwell, Charles Thomas
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 Bryant, Jacob
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
And in each one of the exordiums he invokes the Muse that she may make the value of what is said greater and more divine.
From Complete Works of Plutarch — Volume 3: Essays and Miscellanies by Plutarch
It is a theory of mine that a drive in the country with the right companion is better than exordiums.
From A Beautiful Possibility by Black, Edith Ferguson
Now to the point," I cried; "for exordiums be tedious.
From The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6 A Monthly Eclectic Magazine by Rameur, E.
The period is proper for the exordiums of greater causes, where the matter requires solicitude, commendation, pity.
From The Training of a Public Speaker by Kleiser, Grenville
I have a tale to tell," began the Secretary, "and there are preliminaries and exordiums, but first of all there is a question.
From Before the Dawn A Story of the Fall of Richmond by Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
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.
