articulate

adjective

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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Other Words from articulate

Adjective

articulately adverb

articulateness noun

Verb

articulative \ är-ˈti-kyə-lə-tiv

, -ˌlā- \ adjective

articulator \ är-ˈti-kyə-ˌlā-tər

\ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for articulate

Synonyms: Adjective

Synonyms: Verb

enunciate

Antonyms: Adjective

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 Joe Serio: Roy was a very personable, articulate, affable guy. — Tracy Smith, CBS News, "Federal judge whose son was killed in ambush: "My son's death cannot be in vain"," 20 Feb. 2021 Ted is a window into the conservative’s soul for those who are not conservative, and an articulate advocate for those who are. — cleveland, "In defense of Ted Diadiun -- I regularly disagree with him, but isn’t that the point? Letter from the Editor," 23 Jan. 2021 Amy Klobuchar and First Avenue owner Dayna Frank, who became a passionate, articulate and impactful lobbyist as president of the National Independent Venue Association. — Star Tribune, "6 cool things in music this week include Bruce Springsteen, #SaveOurStages, Iggy Pop and First Avenue," 25 Dec. 2020 Some of them were thoughtful, articulate individuals genuinely concerned about the expanding power of the federal government. — Gilbert Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Garcia: Capitol riot culminated 12 years of Tea Party resentment," 7 Jan. 2021 Mackey expressed the belief that capitalism needs to be explained in a more articulate manner. — Andrew Mark Miller, Washington Examiner, "Whole Foods CEO blasts socialism: It's 'trickle-up poverty' that 'impoverishes everything'," 28 Nov. 2020 Feinstein has always been very articulate — one of the most clear-speaking politicians anywhere — and still is. — George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, "Yes, Feinstein is the oldest U.S. senator. But she should be able to retire on her own terms," 17 Dec. 2020 Temple has access to a wealth of old footage, including a lot from the days when MacGowan was a more energetic performer — and a more articulate interview subject. — Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, "Review: New documentaries focus on musicians from Shane MacGowan to Billie Holiday," 3 Dec. 2020 Yes, the Left is offended that an articulate, highly educated woman is a legal conservative and tremendous scholar. — Tim Huelskamp, National Review, "Barrett’s Treatment by the Left Exposes Their Racial Hypocrisy," 15 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Our parents have kids for the same reasons as most people, but their sacrifice for us is impossible to articulate, and its weight is felt deep down, in the body. — Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, The New Yorker, "Waking Up from the American Dream," 18 Jan. 2021 When George Floyd was killed by four Minneapolis police officers just six months ago, the layers of tragedy wrapped up in his death were both undeniably felt and hard to succinctly articulate. — Jeremiah Ellison, Star Tribune, "Conventional wisdom has produced chaos and injustice in Minneapolis," 2 Dec. 2020 Lauren Fox's first two novels heralded the arrival of a vibrant new voice, one that could articulate the ups and downs in human relationships with warmth, wit and refreshing insight. — Lauren Fox, Star Tribune, "Review: 'Send for Me,' by Lauren Fox," 29 Jan. 2021 In the end one is left with a question — one Glaser does not articulate directly, but which weaves itself through every chapter of her book. — New York Times, "Adoption Used to Be Hush-Hush. This Book Amplifies the Human Toll.," 22 Jan. 2021 His Latino campaign was able to articulate the core characteristics of Latino conservatism: family values, work ethic, patriotism, and anti-Communism. — Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker, "The Deep Origins of Latino Support for Trump," 29 Dec. 2020 Republicans favor a market solution to the vexing problem of health-care system reform but have been unable to articulate a simple, easily understandable vision to implement that solution. — WSJ, "Gov. Jindal, Health-Care Policy and the GOP," 10 Dec. 2020 And, finally, poetry just might give us the means to articulate, with deep precision and empathy, the complexity of our world. — John Mcwhorter, Washington Post, "Biden Should ...," 15 Jan. 2021 The quasi-messianic notion that Trump fights for us all, and asks for nothing in return also helped the rally speakers articulate the crowd’s end of the bargain: Now the loving great leader needs us to fight for him. — Chris Lehmann, The New Republic, "Feeling Trump’s Pain," 11 Jan. 2021

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.

History and Etymology for articulate

Adjective

borrowed from Late Latin articulātus "uttered distinctly, expressed clearly" (as translation of Greek énarthros), past participle of articulāre "to make distinct sounds," going back to Latin, "to divide into distinct parts," derivative of articulus "joint, part of a limb or digit between joints, point of time, clause of a document" — more at article entry 1

Verb

borrowed from Late Latin articulātus, past participle of articulāre "to make distinct sounds," going back to Latin, "to divide into distinct parts" — more at articulate entry 1

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