as in speech
the art of speaking in public eloquently and effectively
the oft-told story that he practiced elocution by learning to speak with a mouth full of pebbles
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Recent Examples of elocution
Elizabeth—with her precise elocution, her terrifying and obvious sincerity—sounded like a woman on the brink of a great cosmic battle.
—
Emily Harnett, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
Rosetta was unusually anxious about public speaking, so she was given elocution lessons.
—Anita Gates, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2023
Would elocution stand a chance if it were formally reintroduced into the school curriculum today?
—Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2023
The recordings also capture Bell’s family background in elocution (his father, grandfather, and brother all taught the subject).
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2018
See All Example Sentences for elocution
Emily Harnett, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
Rosetta was unusually anxious about public speaking, so she was given elocution lessons.
—Anita Gates, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2023
Would elocution stand a chance if it were formally reintroduced into the school curriculum today?
—Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2023
The recordings also capture Bell’s family background in elocution (his father, grandfather, and brother all taught the subject).
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2018
See All Example Sentences for elocution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elocution
Noun
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But as the practice evolved, eager writers like Jefferson and John Adams (but not George Washington or James Madison, for instance), gravitated to a richer, sympathy-bearing idiom, which no doubt bled into intimate speech, now lost.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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In 2022, Helmig announced that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which primarily affected his speech.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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His toughness, off-the-cuff oratory skills and preference for coaching defense all come from the man whose traits were forged in a northeastern Pennsylvania town his family has called home for more than a century.—
Ben Bolch,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2026
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King’s ability to take ideas from White preachers’ bland sermons and convert them to stirring oratory was part of his genius, Miller says.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As Sweden’s canon debate attests, such rhetoric remains part of the global right-wing playbook.—
Colton Valentine,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
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But his other harsh rhetoric in relation to the Arctic territory and NATO allies is still reverberating across the alliance.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Goldberg also spoke out on the air against Charlie Kirk's assassin in September, after the conservative commentator was killed during a public speaking event on a college campus in Utah earlier this year.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Dec. 2025
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Toastmasters meetings help participants improve public speaking, communication and professional presentation skills.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elocution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elocution. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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