speaker

¹ American  

[spee-ker] / ˈspi kər /

noun

1. a person who speaks.

2. a person who speaks formally before an audience; lecturer; orator.

3. (usually initial capital letter) the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, the British House of Commons, or other such legislative assembly.

4. Also called loudspeaker.  an electroacoustic device, often housed in a cabinet, that is connected as a component in an audio system, its function being to make speech or music audible.

5. a book of selections for practice in declamation.

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idioms

1. be / not be on speakers, speaking.

Speaker ² American  

[spee-ker] / ˈspi kər /

noun

1. Tris(tram E.), 1888–1958, U.S. baseball player.

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speaker ¹ British  

/ ˈspiːkə /

noun

1. a person who speaks, esp at a formal occasion

2. See loudspeaker

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Speaker ² British  

/ ˈspiːkə /

noun

1. the presiding officer in any of numerous legislative bodies, including the House of Commons in Britain and Canada and the House of Representatives in the US, Australia, and New Zealand

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Other Word Forms

• nonspeaker noun
• speakership noun

Etymology

Origin of speaker

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; speak, -er ¹

Explanation

A speaker is someone who delivers a speech or a device that makes sounds louder. The speaker gave a great speech but you couldn't hear it because the speaker was turned off. Speaker has a few different meanings, from the person who addresses a group, to the piece of equipment that amplifies sound to someone who is fluent in a particular language. For example, a native Spanish speaker can usually tell if someone learned the language in high school because textbooks don't always include the slang and idioms of everyday speech.

Example Sentences

On Saturday, Vice President JD Vance is set to lead the U.S. team in talks with an Iranian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Pelosi, the former House speaker, led the hearing alongside Aguilar and Rep. Joseph Morelle of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee, which has oversight of elections.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Thousands filled the venue, with speaker after speaker taking the microphone to echo calls for Mnangagwa to remain in office beyond 2028.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

He has appeared as a featured speaker at multiple ReAwaken stops, often sounding very much like an NAR preacher, although his connection to the movement is not explicit.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

It was a large table model with an ornate shell-shaped speaker and it brought us many years of joy.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom