oratorical

[awr-uh-tawr-i-kuhl, or-uh-tor-]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of an orator or oratory.

   His oratorical prowess has led to political success.

2. given to oratory.

   an oratorical speaker.

Other Word Forms

• oratorically adverb
• semioratorical adjective
• semioratorically adverb
• superoratorical adjective
• superoratorically adverb
• unoratorical adjective
• unoratorically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of oratorical¹

First recorded in 1610–20; orator, orator(y) ¹ + -ical

Example Sentences

The shift has provided oratorical firepower, along with a questionable legal rationale, for the deadly “narco-terrorist” boat strikes, now numbering 14, in both the Caribbean and Pacific.

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And as Herndon pointed out, “in time Lincoln’s style changed: he became more eloquent but with less gaudy ornamentation. He grew in oratorical power, dropping gradually the alliteration and rosy metaphor of youth.”

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In court, Alimouri stood out from his fellow defense attorneys, and not just for his colorful nickname, coined by fans who swooned over his tailored suits, shiny pompadour and oratorical skills.

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Congress, by contrast, has failed miserably, in my view, with most Republicans becoming Trump apologists or facilitators and most Democrats lacking the strategic or oratorical skill to overcome that recalcitrance.

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That’s a dryly academic way of putting something that Willie, with his enviable oratorical powers, transforms into the stuff of excoriating comedy and high drama.

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Related Words

• stylistic