Definition of articulate
1a : expressing oneself readily, clearly, and effectively an articulate teacher; also : expressed in such a manner an articulate argumentb : divided into syllables or words meaningfully arranged : intelligible an articulate cry/utterancec : able to speak So furious was he that he was hardly articulate … — Arthur Conan Doyle
2a : consisting of segments united by joints : jointed articulate animalsb : distinctly marked off an articulate period in history
articulately
adverbarticulateness
nounPeople Are Reading
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
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The biggest surprise, though, is how articulate the simple things are: the iron pot of new crop rice is pure and masterful, and the shochu with a sprig of aromatic pine is the culinary equivalent of taking a brisk winter walk in Hokkaido.
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The hyper-articulate Arkansas native came into the public eye in 2013 when Defense Distributed released the blueprint for its first gun, called The Liberator.
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There are a number of other fine celebrities who are equally articulate.
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But to make Richard more articulate or defiant or to place him in that courtroom would have negated the idea of trying to tell a true story truthfully.
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Such ideas have deeper roots in Europe, where Mr. Trump’s kindred spirits are more disciplined and articulate.
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Probably because, as the youngest and shrillest child of an extraordinarily articulate and passionate family, I could only be heard by charging over the top, shouting, ‘Marchons, marchons!
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As a result I was forced to become more articulate and concise — not such bad attributes, but not so easy either.
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These were the sort of protagonists a writer looks for: two complicated, articulate people driven to achieve something far greater than themselves — who stumble, make mistakes, but keep pushing on.
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
First Known Use: 1531
Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms
Definition of articulate
articulated
;articulating
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 phrasec : to give definition to (something, such as a shape or object) Eight shades of gray were chosen to articulate different spaces. — Carol Vogeld : 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 : jointb : 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.
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
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Articulating this view, President Trump has vowed to slash financial regulations to fix the problem.
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The song articulates my pain, my struggle, my humanity, me being depressed over scrutiny, loss of life, being misunderstood in so many ways.
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Sitting on the blinding beach, Sofia makes abortive attempts to articulate this question, to differentiate between the symptoms and the disease.
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Trump has nominated Sen. Jeff Sessions—should articulate the standards that will guide Justice Department lawyers in opening a civil-rights investigation of a police department, a process that has been shrouded in mystery.
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The ambiguous, questioning quality wasn’t being articulated.
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The political analyst William Schneider articulated a similarly plausible idea about the politics of suburbia in a classic 1992 article for The Atlantic.
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Beauvoir believed there was a way out of the roles that society might try to impose on a person, by articulating a set of ideas about one’s life and refusing to accept evidence to the contrary.
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The most remarkable quality of this novel is Cline’s ability to articulate the anxieties of adolescence in language that’s gorgeously poetic without mangling the authenticity of a teenager’s consciousness.
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
see 1articulate
First Known Use: 1661
ARTICULATE Defined for English Language Learners
articulate
playDefinition of articulate for English Language Learners
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: able to express ideas clearly and effectively in speech or writing
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: clearly expressed and easily understood
articulate
playDefinition of articulate for English Language Learners
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: to express (something, such as an idea) in words
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: to say or pronounce (something, such as a word) in a way that can be clearly heard and understood
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: to connect with a joint or something that is like a joint
ARTICULATE Defined for Kids
Definition of articulate for Students
1 : clearly understandable an articulate essay
2 : able to express oneself clearly and well an articulate speaker
articulately
adverbDefinition of articulate for Students
articulated
;articulating
: to speak or pronounce clearly Be sure to articulate your words.
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of articulate
articulated
;articulating
1
transitive verb
: to utter distinctly2: to unite by means of a joint
3: to arrange (artificial teeth) on an articulator
1
intransitive verb
: to utter articulate sounds2: to become united or connected by or as if by a joint bones that articulate with each other
Learn More about articulate
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See words that rhyme with articulate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for articulate Spanish Central: Translation of articulate Nglish: Translation of articulate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of articulate for Arabic speakers
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