articulate

ar·tic·u·late | \ är-ˈti-kyə-lət

Definition of articulate

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

2a : consisting of segments united by joints : jointed articulate animals

b : distinctly marked off an articulate period in history

articulate

verb

ar·tic·u·late | \ är-ˈti-kyə-ˌlāt

articulated; articulating

Definition of articulate (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

2a : 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.

Other Words from articulate Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about articulate

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Examples of articulate in a Sentence

Adjective 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. Verb 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 on the Web: Adjective At the helm of this still unbuilt ship is Wright, an affable, articulate guy who—until fairly recently—mostly studied exoplanets and not signs of their potential exobeings. — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, "Space Alien Research Could Get Its First Grad Program," 18 Nov. 2019 Castro is one of the most articulate members of Congress on foreign policy. — Elaine Ayala, ExpressNews.com, "Spanish visitors saw San Antonio’s indigenous Mexican roots on display," 9 Nov. 2019 In addition to articulate, expressive dancers, lead couple Daynelis Munoz and Rainer Diaz also proved to be first-rate actors. — Zachary Lewis, cleveland, "Cleveland Ballet leaps over expectations with unconventional new ‘Carmen’," 21 Oct. 2019 Although terrifying in appearance, the cenobites are quite articulate, bringing a new flavor to the typical horror film villain and creating a rich horror universe with dynamic characters and, of course, some gory scenes. — Nate Nickolai, chicagotribune.com, "The best horror films to stream right now," 20 Oct. 2019 All but the most unfailingly articulate people make verbal slips at times, but Joe Biden’s foot-in-mouth affliction has become an amusing international parlor game. — Conrad Black, National Review, "Joe Biden: Mediocrity Personified," 2 Oct. 2019 Among the pianist’s articulate and expressive conversation partners were the SPCO’s new principal oboist, Cassie Pilgrim, and clarinetist Sang Yoon Kim. — Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, "Review: Denk, SPCO launch season with exquisitely aching Schumann," 14 Sep. 2019 What women need to do instead is articulate is a path of truth, reconciliation, and redemption for these men. — Zainab Salbi, Fortune, "Punishing Sexual Predators Isn’t Enough. We Need to Give Them a Path to Make Things Right," 17 Sep. 2019 His presence around the game endures as one of baseball's most articulate voices. — Matt Martell, SI.com, "As MLB Continues to Evolve, So Does David Cone," 18 July 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb It is practiced on asphalt and articulated through hip-hop music and culture, the fulcrum of Williams’s adolescent identity. — Emily Bernard, Harper's magazine, "Autobiography of an Ex-Black Man," 25 Nov. 2019 Politicians able to articulate a vision of this future that is inclusive, inspiring, and nonthreatening — the mixture Obama sought in 2008 — will reap massive rewards. — Ezra Klein, Vox, "White threat in a browning America," 30 July 2018 Like those pieces, the opening of Klein’s Lento articulates eternal truths via seemingly simple gestures. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "‘Silenced Voices’: A haunting album with music from those who died in the Holocaust," 19 Nov. 2019 Overall, when asked about finding the differences between Adelaide and Red, the actress articulates her choices with impressive depth and cogency. — David Canfield, EW.com, "How Us left Lupita Nyong'o exhausted, nervous, and challenged like never before," 19 Nov. 2019 In the interviews, Nixon articulated a stark vision of executive power. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Donald Trump and the Absolute Power Presidency," 18 Nov. 2019 Moore so perfectly articulates the internal battles so many of us face with self-doubt, eating disorders, and addiction (of all kinds). — Rachel King, Fortune, "Gift Guide: The Best Books to Gift People You Know Well—and People You Don’t," 16 Nov. 2019 Ike, with just a few musical and narrative gestures, is better articulated, and Watts is terrific delivering his gleaming menace. — Jesse Green, New York Times, "Review: The ‘Tina’ Musical Is One Inch Deep, Mountain High," 7 Nov. 2019 But at the time, the pact articulated the sentiments of ordinary citizens, including World War I veterans and organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who during the late 1930s opposed U.S. entry into the deepening European conflicts. — Michael Messner, The Conversation, "Peace advocates have long been found among veterans who fought in America’s wars," 6 Nov. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

7 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Articulate.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/articulate. Accessed 11 December 2019.

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More Definitions for articulate

articulate

adjective