eloquence

noun

el·​o·​quence ˈe-lə-kwən(t)s 

1

: discourse marked by force and persuasiveness

also : the art or power of using such discourse

2

: the quality of forceful or persuasive expressiveness

Synonyms

• articulacy [chiefly British]
• articulateness
• poetry
• rhetoric

Examples of eloquence in a Sentence

The senator's eloquence is well known.

She spoke with eloquence on the need for better schools.

Recent Examples on the Web

Lieberman cast Obama as a political show horse, a lightweight with a thin record of accomplishment in the Senate despite his soaring eloquence as a speaker. —Susan Haigh, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024

Discovering Phin’s YouTube channel during college was a revelation for me, as her eloquence in dissecting fashion concepts deepened my understanding of the industry. —Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 20 Mar. 2024

Whether he’s immersed in the eloquence of a classical cello piece or unleashing the raw energy of heavy metal on his drumset, his performances resonate with an undeniable connection to the music. —Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024

But, even among Black folks, some hair has an eloquence that other hair might not be afforded. —Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024

The Wingfield family’s repressions are bound to boil over, but they are lulled into stasis by Williams’ poetical eloquence. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Dec. 2023

De Niro does have other things to occupy his mind, however, despite any lack of eloquence on those topics. —Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2023

The two have been colleagues for three decades, since the now 63-year-old president was a young philosophy instructor, a teacher’s union leader, and a democracy advocate noted for his eloquence. —Ellen Knickmeyer and Tracy Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2023

The selection was inevitably going to be a progressive Democrat, and was likely to bring to the chamber some combination of the eloquence of Kamala Harris, the bipartisan goodwill of Barbara Boxer, the sparkling personality of Gray Davis, and the fresh face of Nancy Pelosi. —The Editors, National Review, 5 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin ēloquentia, noun derivative of ēloquent-, ēloquens "capable of speech, expressing oneself fluently, eloquent"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

eloquence

noun

el·​o·​quence ˈel-ə-kwən(t)s 

: speech or writing that is forceful and convincing

also : the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way