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 startup has said it has a single goal: a “straight-shot” research sprint to what he dubbed “safe superintelligence”—industry speak for AI that can do whatever humans can do, without threatening humanity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
If John F. Kennedy gets to speak for two minutes, then Richard Nixon gets to speak for two minutes.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
"I can't speak for everybody, but in my circle, there's this fear and people just say, 'just don't work with the government, just don't.' And that fear is real," he said.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
“Celebrity status does not exempt anyone from California’s employment laws. We look forward to presenting the evidence in court and allowing the facts to speak for themselves,” attorney Della Shaker told The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
He dropped the tassel from Eddie’s journal into my palm, and I lost the ability to speak for a second.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
