speak for
Britishverb
-
to speak as a representative of (other people)
-
to be so evident that no further comment is necessary
-
informal (used as an imperative) do not presume that other people agree with you
-
Intercede for, recommend, as in He spoke for the young applicant, commending her honesty . [c. 1300]
-
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]
-
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]
-
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 U.S. military declined to say whether Arab countries were helping in the fight, saying it would let Gulf countries speak for themselves.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Let the sheet pan dinner speak for itself.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026
“It’s important not to expect good work to speak for itself,” she said.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026
Anderson mostly shuns campaigning, preferring the work to speak for itself.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
She said, “There’s no better way to look out for families than to make sure the government remembers the needs of children, women, and poor people. Who better to speak for children than women?”
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
