illocutionary

[il-uh-kyoo-shuh-ner-ee]

adjective

Philosophy, Linguistics.

1. pertaining to a linguistic act performed by a speaker in producing an utterance, as suggesting, warning, promising, or requesting.

Other Word Forms

• illocution noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of illocutionary¹

First recorded in 1950–55; il- ¹ + locution + -ary