articulate

1 of 2

adjective

ar·​tic·​u·​late är-ˈti-kyə-lət 

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

articulate

2 of 2

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

är-ˈti-kyə-lə-tiv 

-ˌlā-

adjective

articulator

är-ˈti-kyə-ˌlā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

Adjective

• eloquent
• fluent
• silver-tongued
• well-spoken

Verb

• enunciate

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

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

Biden hasn’t been articulate enough lately to lay out his economic vision, and Harris’s instinct is to present all her ideas, including economic proposals, in specific, tangible, personal terms. —Nicholas Lemann, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

The low-budget production benefits from an articulate and charismatic lineup of expert interviewees, fascinating archival footage and some welcome humor. —Alissa Simon, Variety, 26 June 2024

Verb

This is why founder’s are increasingly under pressure to articulate their path to revenue, even if production might be years ahead. —Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Clearly articulate your career goals and the reasons that drive you. —Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Adjective

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1561, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Kids Definition

articulate

1 of 2 adjective

ar·​tic·​u·​late är-ˈtik-yə-lət 

1

a

: clearly understandable

an articulate argument

b

: able to express oneself clearly and well

an articulate speaker

2

: consisting of segments united by joints : jointed

articulate animals

articulately adverb

articulateness noun

articulate

2 of 2 verb

ar·​tic·​u·​late är-ˈtik-yə-ˌlāt 

articulated; articulating

1

a

: to speak in clear syllables or words

b

: to express clearly

2

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

articulator

-ˌlāt-ər 

noun

Medical Definition

articulate

1 of 2 adjective

ar·​tic·​u·​late är-ˈtik-yə-lət 

: consisting of segments united by joints : jointed

articulate animals

articulate

2 of 2 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