utterance
1 Americannoun
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an act of uttering; vocal expression.
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manner of speaking; power of speaking.
His very utterance was spellbinding.
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something uttered; a word or words uttered; a cry, animal's call, or the like.
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Linguistics. any speech sequence consisting of one or more words and preceded and followed by silence: it may be coextensive with a sentence.
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Obsolete. a public sale of goods.
noun
noun
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something uttered, such as a statement
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the act or power of uttering or the ability to utter
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logic philosophy an element of spoken language, esp a sentence Compare inscription
noun
Etymology
Origin of utterance1
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at utter 1, -ance
Origin of utterance2
1350–1400; Middle English < Old French outrance, oultrance, equivalent to oultr ( er ) to pass beyond (< Latin ultrā beyond) + -ance -ance
Explanation
An utterance is a bit of spoken language. It could be anything from "Ugh!" to a full sentence. To utter means "to say." So when you're saying something, you're making utterances. Saying "24" in math class is an utterance. A police officer yelling "Stop!" is an utterance. Saying "Good boy!" to your dog is an utterance. Even a long speech by the President is an utterance. If you can't hear it, it's not an utterance.
Vocabulary lists containing utterance
Silas Marner
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Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Phase the first
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Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 4
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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.
After almost 30 years in the Senate, his every invariably solemn utterance is beyond well known to me.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Their every utterance was akin to a 'is this all you've got?' message to their visitors.
From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025
The algorithmic utterance does not have to be protected.
From Slate • Nov. 5, 2024
In the era of streaming and social media, Beyoncé knows that her every public appearance and utterance will be scrutinized, commented on, cross-referenced, circulated as clickbait and hot-taked in both good faith and bad.
From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2024
The formal high school “Como esta usted?” was received as the most charming utterance possible.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
