public speaking

American  

noun

1. the act of delivering speeches in public.

2. the art or skill of addressing an audience effectively.

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public speaking British  

noun

1. the art or practice of making speeches to large audiences

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Other Word Forms

• public speaker noun

Etymology

Origin of public speaking

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

Long before she dabbled with public speaking or modelling, Abena felt a pull towards Africa, a feeling she could not articulate but could not ignore.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

Here was the Founders’ model in miniature: classical knowledge, truth and beauty, memorization and public speaking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Perhaps these qualities also prepared her to weather the slings and arrows of international NGO leadership and public speaking.

From Salon • Oct. 1, 2025

It was the first time Knox was sharing her story in front of a crowd and she asked to meet with Lewinsky, whose writing and public speaking she said she had “devoured” in preparation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2025

And, the other: when I had read enough to know something, I began to enter the Prison Colony’s weekly debating program—my baptism into public speaking.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey