any of the orations delivered by Demosthenes, the Athenian orator, in the 4th century b.c., against Philip, king of Macedon.
any of the 14 orations delivered by Cicero against Marc Antony (44-43 b.c.).
(lowercase) any speech or discourse of bitter denunciation.
First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin Philippicus, from Greek Philippikós; see Philip, -ic
A philippic is a bitter rant against someone or something. Unfortunately your impassioned philippic condemning your parents’ midnight curfew rule only resulted in you being grounded for a week. The word philippic originates from the Greek word philippikos, the name given to the speeches of the famous Greek orator Demosthenes, who warned the Athenians against Philip II of Macedon. The Greeks didn’t listen to Demosthenes, however, and then Philip and his son Alexander the Great ended up bringing all of Greece under Macedonian control. Too bad for the Athenians!
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This was the last Philippic and last oration which Cicero delivered.
From History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Volume II by Dunlop, John
Plutarch makes no special mention of the second Philippic.
From The Life of Cicero Volume II. by Trollope, Anthony
In 1707 he published a large treatise in English and Latin, as "A Philippic Oration, to incite the English against the French," a work I have never seen.
From Ancient and Modern Celebrated Freethinkers Reprinted From an English Work, Entitled "Half-Hours With The Freethinkers." by Bradlaugh, Charles
Then it was that he spoke the third Philippic, and in the evening of the same day he spoke the fourth to the people.
From The Life of Cicero Volume II. by Trollope, Anthony
He himself goes to Puteoli, and there he writes the second Philippic.
From The Life of Cicero Volume II. by Trollope, Anthony
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.
