public speaking
Americannoun
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the act of delivering speeches in public.
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the art or skill of addressing an audience effectively.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of public speaking
First recorded in 1755–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Most days I do some form of public speaking," she says.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Payne, from Exeter, says she stopped any form of public speaking after developing a severe anxiety disorder and experiencing panic attacks.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
If you enjoy presenting, but are often assigned written reports, make it clear that one of your strengths is public speaking and that you’d like to do it more.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
They included common skills like public speaking and time management.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
It was, after all, a job that promised to exercise my talent for public speaking, and if the pay was anything at all it would be more than I had now.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
