speak for
Britishverb
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to speak as a representative of (other people)
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to be so evident that no further comment is necessary
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informal (used as an imperative) do not presume that other people agree with you
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Intercede for, recommend, as in He spoke for the young applicant, commending her honesty . [c. 1300]
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Express the views of, as in I can't speak for my husband but I'd love to accept , or I don't care what Harry thinks—Speak for yourself, Joe . [c. 1300]
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speak for itself . Be significant or self-evident, as in They haven't called us in months, and that speaks for itself . [Second half of 1700s]
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spoken for . Ordered, engaged, or reserved, as in This lot of rugs is already spoken for , or Is this dance spoken for? This usage comes from the older verb, bespeak , meaning “to order.” [Late 1600s]
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.
The fact that the filmmakers don’t overstuff the film with friends and experts lets her career and life speak for itself.
From Salon
I didn’t want to let anyone speak for me, even Zara.
From Literature
“People are out here speaking for their families and their neighbors. That’s what this is all about.”
From Los Angeles Times
But since its creation in 2006, the Council has approved by consensus all candidates proposed as Special Rapporteurs, supposedly independent experts who don’t speak for the world body itself.
It isn’t certain that Mr. Ghalibaf can even speak for Iran’s regime.
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.
