articulate

adjective ar·tic·u·late \ är-ˈti-kyə-lət \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

1 a : expressing oneself readily, clearly, and effectively

an articulate teacher

; also : expressed in such a manner

an articulate argument

b : divided into syllables or words meaningfully arranged : intelligible

an articulate cry/utterance

c : able to speak

So furious was he that he was hardly articulate …
—Arthur Conan Doyle

2 a : consisting of segments united by joints : jointed

articulate animals

b : distinctly marked off

an articulate period in history

—

articulately

adverb

—

articulateness

noun

See articulate defined for English-language learners

See articulate defined for kids

Examples of articulate in a Sentence

But he clearly adored his quick-witted and mercilessly articulate elder daughter. Contrary to feminist accounts of her patriarchal imprisonment, Emily Dickinson's objections to her father's strictures had an affectionate tone … —Christopher Benfey, New York Review of Books, 17 Jan. 2002
The engaging and articulate Bol makes campers realize how fortunate they are to have the freedoms enjoyed in America, and he emphasizes the importance of capitalizing on their opportunities to get the most out of life. —Chris Broussard, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2002
Among the most articulate critics of the tests are the boycotting students, who complain about narrowing opportunities and shrinking curricula. —Peter Schrag, Atlantic, August 2000
She's an intelligent and articulate speaker.
He was very articulate about his feelings on the subject.
The baby is beginning to form articulate words and phrases.

Recent Examples of articulate from the Web

But that did not stop the Oscar winner from delivering the kind of deft, articulate responses that proved her the perfect leader—no offense, Cannes director Thierry Frémaux—to guide the flawed French festival through its Time’s Up-era evolution.

— julie miller, HWD, "Cannes 2018: A No-Nonsense Cate Blanchett Fields Tough Questions," 8 May 2018
The attorney told him his mother moved slowly and couldn’t open a jar of food, but was coherent and articulate.

— clare ansberry, WSJ, "Who’s in Charge Here? Aging Parents Resist Interfering ‘Helicopter’ Children," 23 Apr. 2018
That’s more or less the conclusion of one of the field’s true believers, Adam Ludwin, the articulate founder of technology company Chain.

— aaron pressman, Fortune, "Data Sheet—Blockchain Might Be a Big Deal, Some Day," 18 Apr. 2018
His articulate candor made him a go-to guy for local and national reporters alike.

— jeff duncan, NOLA.com, "Literally, figuratively, the Saints are losing a giant in Zach Strief," 12 Mar. 2018
Moreover, anyone sounding the death knell of liberalism has to deal with its unprecedented and ongoing success — a fact that Deneen acknowledges but which can get lost in page after page of articulate despair.

— park macdougald, Daily Intelligencer, "Has the Operating System for the Western World Crashed?," 27 Feb. 2018
But the film doesn’t fully articulate that idea — that this is a way to laugh instead of cry.

— katie walsh, idahostatesman, "Armando Iannucci’s ‘The Death of Stalin’ a mix of absurd, tragic comedy | Idaho Statesman," 5 Apr. 2018
He's grown into a smart, witty, articulate and fun-loving kid.

— emma kate fittes, Indianapolis Star, "It's 'hard not to protect him.' How a Noblesville teacher and blind 9-year-old grow together," 3 Jan. 2018
May was articulate, interested in what was happening with her classmates and had an optimism about the district's potential, said board member Anita Hanna , who had pitched the idea of a student representative on the school board back in 2015.

— emily k. coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "'Student voices are important': Waukegan District 60 school board picks sophomore as first-ever student advisory member," 28 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'articulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of articulate

Latin articulatus jointed, past participle of articulare, from articulus — see ¹article

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1531

in the meaning defined at sense 1b

See Words from the same year

articulate Synonyms

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

articulate

verb ar·tic·u·late \ är-ˈti-kyə-ˌlāt \

articulated; articulating

transitive verb

1 a : to give clear and effective utterance to : to put into words

articulate one's grievances

He found it hard to articulate his feelings.

b : to utter distinctly

articulating each note in the musical phrase

c : to give definition to (something, such as a shape or object)

Eight shades of gray were chosen to articulate different spaces.
—Carol Vogel

d : to give shape or expression to (something, such as a theme or concept)

a drama that uses eerie props to articulate a sense of foreboding

2 a : to unite by or as if by means of a joint : joint

b : to form or fit into a systematic whole

articulating a program for all school grades

intransitive verb

1 : to utter clear and understandable sounds

2 : to become united or connected by or as if by a joint

Most bones articulate with other bones in one or more places.

—

articulative

play \-lə-tiv, -ˌlā-\ adjective

—

articulator

play \-ˌlā-tər\ noun

See articulate defined for English-language learners

Examples of articulate in a Sentence

She was shocked, she told me, to see that he insisted on talking about her ideas—and about the pains and hopes that gave rise to them. "The only way to keep it is to give it away," he told her, articulating and enacting the essence of altruism. —Joshua Wolf Shenk, Atlantic, June 2009
"Fiction just doesn't interest me," one 41-year-old construction worker told CNN. "If I'm going to get a story, I'll get a movie," he said, articulating an attitude surely shared by many others in our media-saturated world. —Sara Nelson, Publishers Weekly, 27 Aug. 2007
Erudite, elderly, and introspective, one of my patients articulates clearly some of today's dilemmas facing both alcoholic patients and their physicians. —Thomas L. Delbanco, Journal of the American Medical Association, 13 Mar. 1996
He had some trouble articulating his thoughts.
We disagree with the views articulated by the administration.
a theory first articulated by ancient philosophers
the bones that articulate with the clavicle

Recent Examples of articulate from the Web

In a recent interview with WSCR-AM 670’s Laurence Holmes, Jones articulated everything Smith and his fellow Bears rookies arriving Thursday need to hear.

— david haugh, chicagotribune.com, "Former Bear Thomas Jones' advice for NFL rookies: 'Stay in your playbook'," 9 May 2018
Being Serena does not articulate that broader argument, but works its own roundabout path to that conclusion.

— sonia saraiya, HWD, "We’ve Never Seen an Athlete’s Story Quite Like Serena Williams’ HBO Docuseries," 2 May 2018
The first person to clearly articulate the concept of attachment was a British psychoanalyst named John Bowlby.

— Longreads, "Born Again," 1 May 2018
One viewer on Twitter used the fallout from his dental appointment to articulate his feelings on the broadcast.

— richard morin, azcentral, "Fans react to Arizona Diamondbacks game exclusively on Facebook," 26 Apr. 2018
His assertion, which felt sincerely articulated, satisfied almost no one.

— adam lashinsky, Fortune, "Debating Regulation For Big Tech Companies Like Amazon and Facebook," 23 Apr. 2018
Yet more than ever, the show needs to better articulate his motives and end game here.

— nick statt, The Verge, "The Walking Dead feels fresh, original, and truly open-ended for the first time in years," 19 Mar. 2018
Her organic writing process, which allows her to articulate her own feelings in relatable and timeless stories -- like avoiding an ex by switching shifts at work -- makes such a desire seem doable.

— lyndsey havens, Billboard, "Lucy Dacus Wants You to Know Her Sophomore Release 'Is Not a Breakup Album'," 26 Feb. 2018
That hum quickly grew to a din, composed of calls not only between legislators, but also from constituents who increasingly had their own phones for articulating complaints, comments and requests.

— New York Times, "Overlooked No More: Harriott Daley, the Capitol’s First Telephone Operator," 23 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of articulate

see ¹articulate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1661

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

articulate Synonyms

Synonyms

bring out, enunciate, pass, say, speak, state, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize;

Near Antonyms

stifle, suppress;

blabber, blurt, get off, shoot;

advertise, announce, blaze, broadcast, declare, post, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish;

affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow;

breathe, chirp, drawl, gasp, lip, mouth, murmur, purr, shout, spout, whisper;

clothe, couch, formulate, phrase, word;

comment, pipe up (with), remark;

Phrases

put into words;

ARTICULATE Defined for English Language Learners

articulate

adjective

: able to express ideas clearly and effectively in speech or writing
: clearly expressed and easily understood

articulate

verb

: to express (something, such as an idea) in words
: to say or pronounce (something, such as a word) in a way that can be clearly heard and understood
: to connect with a joint or something that is like a joint

ARTICULATE Defined for Kids

articulate

adjective ar·tic·u·late \ är-ˈti-kyə-lət \

1 : clearly understandable

an articulate essay

2 : able to express oneself clearly and well

an articulate speaker

—

articulately

adverb

articulate

verb ar·tic·u·late \ är-ˈti-kyə-ˌlāt \

articulated; articulating

: to speak or pronounce clearly Be sure to articulate your words.

Medical Dictionary

articulate

adjective ar·tic·u·late \ är-ˈtik-yə-lət \

: consisting of segments united by joints : jointed

articulate animals

articulate

verb ar·tic·u·late \ -ˌlāt \

articulated; articulating

transitive verb

1 : to utter distinctly

2 : to unite by means of a joint

3 : to arrange (artificial teeth) on an articulator

intransitive verb

1 : to utter articulate sounds

2 : to become united or connected by or as if by a joint

bones that articulate with each other

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articulate

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articulator

Examples of articulate in a Sentence

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articulate Synonyms

Synonyms

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ARTICULATE Defined for English Language Learners

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articulate

ARTICULATE Defined for Kids

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Medical Dictionary

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articulate

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