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illocutionary

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

adjective Philosophy, Linguistics.

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

Nearby words

  1. illiterate,
  2. illiterati,
  3. illitic,
  4. illness,
  5. illocution,
  6. illogic,
  7. illogical,
  8. illogicality,
  9. illth,
  10. illude
Compare locutionary, perlocutionary.

Origin of illocutionary

First recorded in 1950–55; il-1 + locution + -ary
Related formsil·lo·cu·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for illocution

illocution

noun

philosophy an act performed by a speaker by virtue of uttering certain words, as for example the acts of promising or of threateningAlso called: illocutionary act See also performative Compare perlocution
Derived Formsillocutionary, adjective

Word Origin for illocution

C20: from il- + locution
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
Word Origin and History for illocution
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper