voice

American  

[vois] / vɔɪs /

noun

• voices
  plural

1. the sound or sounds uttered through the mouth of living creatures, especially of human beings in speaking, shouting, singing, etc.

2. the faculty or power of uttering sounds through the mouth by the controlled expulsion of air; speech.

   to lose one's voice.

3. a range of such sounds distinctive to one person, or to a type of person or animal.

   Her voice is commanding.

4. the condition or effectiveness of the voice for speaking or singing.

   to be in poor voice.

5. a sound likened to or resembling vocal utterance.

   the voice of the wind.

   Synonyms:

   call, cry

6. something likened to speech as conveying impressions to the mind.

   the voice of nature.

7. expression in spoken or written words, or by other means.

   to give voice to one's disapproval by a letter.

8. the right to present and receive consideration of one's desires or opinions.

   We were given no voice in the election.

9. an expressed opinion or choice.

   a voice for compromise.

10. an expressed will or desire.

    the voice of the people.

11. expressed wish or injunction.

    obedient to the voice of God.

    Synonyms:

    command, order

12. the person or other agency through which something is expressed or revealed.

    a warning that proved to be the voice of prophecy.

    Synonyms:

    vocalist, organ, mouthpiece

13. a singer.

    one of our best voices.

14. a voice part.

    a score for piano and voice.

15. Phonetics. the audible result of phonation and resonance.

16. Grammar.

    1. a set of categories for which the verb is inflected in some languages, as Latin, and which is typically used to indicate the relation of the verbal action to the subject as performer, undergoer, or beneficiary of its action.

    2. a set of syntactic devices in some languages, as English, that is similar to this set in function.

    3. any of the categories of these sets.

       the English passive voice; the Greek middle voice.

17. the finer regulation, as of intensity and color, in tuning, especially of a piano or organ.

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verb (used with object)

• voices,
  present (3rd person singular)
• voiced,
  past participle,  past
• voicing
  present participle

1. to give utterance or expression to; declare; proclaim.

   to voice one's discontent.

   Synonyms:

   divulge, disclose, reveal, publish

2. Music.

   1. to regulate the tone of, as the pipes of an organ.

   2. to write the voice parts for (music).

3. to utter with the voice.

4. Phonetics. to pronounce with glottal vibration.

5. to interpret from sign language into spoken language.

adjective

1. Computers. of or relating to the use of human or synthesized speech.

   voice-data entry; voice output.

2. Telecommunications. of or relating to the transmission of speech or data over media designed for the transmission of speech.

   voice-grade channel;

   voice-data network.

idioms

1. the still, small voice, the conscience.

   He was only occasionally troubled by the still, small voice.

2. with one voice, in accord; unanimously.

   They arose and with one voice acclaimed the new president.

voice British  

/ vɔɪs /

noun

1. the sound made by the vibration of the vocal cords, esp when modified by the resonant effect of the tongue and mouth See also speech

2. the natural and distinctive tone of the speech sounds characteristic of a particular person

   nobody could mistake his voice

3. the condition, quality, effectiveness, or tone of such sounds

   a hysterical voice

4. the musical sound of a singing voice, with respect to its quality or tone

   she has a lovely voice

5. the ability to speak, sing, etc

   he has lost his voice

6. a sound resembling or suggestive of vocal utterance

   the voice of the sea

   the voice of hard experience

7. written or spoken expression, as of feeling, opinion, etc (esp in the phrase give voice to )

8. a stated choice, wish, or opinion or the power or right to have an opinion heard and considered

   to give someone a voice in a decision

9. an agency through which is communicated another's purpose, policy, etc

   such groups are the voice of our enemies

10. music

    1. musical notes produced by vibrations of the vocal cords at various frequencies and in certain registers

       a tenor voice

    2. (in harmony) an independent melodic line or part

       a fugue in five voices

11. phonetics the sound characterizing the articulation of several speech sounds, including all vowels or sonants, that is produced when the vocal cords make loose contact with each other and are set in vibration by the breath as it forces its way through the glottis

12. grammar a category of the verb or verbal inflections that expresses whether the relation between the subject and the verb is that of agent and action, action and recipient, or some other relation See active passive middle

13. obsolete rumour

14. obsolete (foll by of) fame; renown

15. in a condition to sing or speak well

16. with the voice temporarily in a poor condition, esp for singing

17. unanimously

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verb

1. to utter in words; give expression to

   to voice a complaint

2. to articulate (a speech sound) with voice

3. music to adjust (a wind instrument or organ pipe) so that it conforms to the correct standards of tone colour, pitch, etc

4. to provide the voice for (a puppet or cartoon character) in an animated film

voice More Idioms  

1. see at the top of one's lungs (voice); give voice to; have a say (voice) in; raise one's voice; still small voice; with one voice.

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Usage

What is a basic definition of voice? Voice is the sounds, especially speech, that a living thing makes using their mouth or the ability to use vocal chords and air to make sounds. Voice is also an expressed desire. Voice means to express something. In grammar, voice refers to how a verb is used in a sentence to express if the subject of the sentence is receiving or performing an action. Voice has many other senses as a noun, verb, and adjective. A person’s voice is all of those sounds you hear that you recognize as words or emotional noises, such as shouts or screams. While animals, such as monkeys and cats, also make noises using their mouths, voice is nearly always used to refer to the speech of humans. When a person says they heard a voice, they usually mean a noise that sounded like a person talking. Real-life examples: You can probably recognize people you know by only hearing their voice. When you talk on the phone, you are listening to someone’s voice. Used in a sentence: We heard loud voices coming from down the hallway. The word voice also refers to the ability to use air to make audible sounds. This sense is often used when a person loses their ability to speak, such as due to illness. Used in a sentence: The flu caused Jessica to lose her voice for a few days. Voice is also used to mean a stated desire or will. This sense is especially common when discussing politics, activism, protesting, or similar activities. Real-life examples: In the United States, citizens often express their voice by voting or sending messages to politicians. Politicians and other leaders are often expected to listen to the voice of the people rather than do whatever they want. Used in a sentence: The company listened to the voice of the customers and made changes to their new toy line. As a verb, voice means to utter or declare something. Real-life examples: People often voice their opinions on the Internet using social media. Employees sometimes voice concerns to their bosses during staff meetings. Used in a sentence: The animal rights group voiced their outrage at the city council meeting. The word voice is used in English grammar to refer to the two main ways we express “who is doing what to whom” in a sentence. English has two verb voices. In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb, as in Jim walks. In passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb, as in The test was taken by the students. Active voice used in a sentence: Dennis baked a cake. Passive voice used in a sentence: A cake was baked by Dennis.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• undervoice
  noun
• voicer
  noun
• outvoice
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• voices
  plural

Participles

• voicing
  present
• voiced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• voice
  simple
• voices
  simple
• have voiced
  perfect
• has voiced
  perfect
• am voicing
  progressive
• are voicing
  progressive
• is voicing
  progressive
• have been voicing
  perfect progressive
• has been voicing
  perfect progressive

Past

• voiced
  simple
• had voiced
  perfect
• was voicing
  progressive
• were voicing
  progressive
• had been voicing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will voice
  simple
• will have voiced
  perfect
• will be voicing
  progressive
• will have been voicing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of voice

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, (noun) from Anglo-French voiz, voice or directly from Old French voiz, vois, from Latin vōcem, accusative of vōx; akin to vocāre “to call,” Greek óps “voice,” épos “word” ( see epic), Sanskrit vakti “(he) speaks”

Explanation

Literally, your voice is the sound coming out of your mouth. Metaphorically, voice can also mean the way people express themselves. People have high voices, low voices, quiet voices, and loud voices — but the concept of voice goes well beyond people talking or singing. Writers talk about finding their voice, which means they've developed a unique identity or style. A lawyer can be your voice in court, where he can speak to the judge about your concerns. If you are shut out of some process, then you have no voice in that process.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

voice voices voiced voicing

The audio captured only the test subject’s voice, in all its a capella imperfection.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

“There are naysayers on our shoulders who hold us back, that voice of self-doubt.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Among the people I spoke with, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t voice a wide variety of complaints about the country.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

Despite the film having no dialogue, it has a star-studded voice cast, including Dani Dyer, Justin Fletcher, Nina Sosanya, Paul Whitehouse and Roman Kemp.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

My stomach aches, and I’ll be surprised if Zara still has a voice.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

When critical voices become part of the historical record, the truth can finally make it home.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Wednesday’s presentations added more voices from inside UC leadership to a debate that so far has been led by math and science faculty pressing for the exams’ return.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

This time, Roebuck said he was no longer sure about the voices he heard and did not think Jeramy was a suspect after all.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The Cunliffe review said: "This would represent a significant change, and ensure that local voices, customers and experts have stronger authority over companies' boards' decisions on investment priorities."

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Even though the purpose of a camping trip was to get away from the city, it seemed unnatural to hear no boat motors, no radios, and no human voices except for his family.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman voiced his agreement, along with Elon Musk, who runs SpaceX, the developer of the Grok AI model.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

Gates voiced concern about AI’s societal and economic effects last month.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Last weekend, OpenAI’s chief data scientist Jakub Pachocki voiced his concern in a blog post: “No one is prepared for the consequences of a continued rapid rise in machine intelligence.”

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026

Many of the sport's biggest names have voiced their support for athletics' new global event.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

At the very least he could have voiced some minor disappointment.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

But implementing guardrails for safe AI development is turning out to be far more complicated than simply voicing support on social media.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

Among those voicing concerns and championing the role of the Heimlich maneuver are the children of the doctor behind it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Shanahan, whose team also must travel to play a game in Mexico this season, was not shy about voicing his displeasure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

However, his sole Emmy win was for voicing Captain Hook in the 1991 animated children’s series “Peter Pan & the Pirates.”

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

Merriweather had her eyes closed, and seemed to be humming...only she was humming in harmony with herself, effortlessly voicing different parts of the same tune.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

• announce
• articulate
• assert
• declare
• deliver
• emphasize
• present
• proclaim
• say
• speak
• tell
• utter
• vent