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.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., speaking for the court, said Congress has the power to impose taxes and tariffs, and lawmakers did not do so in an emergency law that does not mention tariffs.
From Los Angeles Times
But her intensity, whether seated on the lip of the stage, where she begins, or standing in the organ loft where she winds up at the end, spoke for itself.
From Los Angeles Times
“I really thought Jonah was capable of speaking for himself,” Mom said, suspicion creeping into her voice.
From Literature
“That sense of immediacy — and not imbuing something with outside signifiers of value — lets the fragile piece of paper speak for itself.”
From Los Angeles Times
Maya Sikand KC, speaking for families represented by three law firms, said there were "urgent concerns" and described facing "a wall of silence" from the inquiry team.
From BBC
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.
