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

Example Sentences

He organizes speaker panels and other gatherings to network, learn from professionals and gain internship possibilities.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Lower house speaker Khin Yi confirmed Min Aung Hlaing's election after the vote.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Since his trip to Roatán in 2022, Scott has become a familiar speaker at conferences and flies to events across the world to discuss his journey into longevity treatments.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Also over the weekend, Iran's parliament speaker warned that his country's forces were "waiting for American soldiers" as a further 3,500 US troops arrived in the Middle East.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

The trees are covered with red, white, and blue streamers, there are people everywhere, and a speaker system is blasting patriotic country music.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller