eloquent

play

adjective el·o·quent \ ˈe-lə-kwənt \

Definition of eloquent

1 :marked by forceful and fluent expression

an eloquent preacher

2 :vividly or movingly expressive or revealing

an eloquent monument

—

eloquently

adverb

See eloquent defined for English-language learners

See eloquent defined for kids

eloquent was our Word of the Day on 01/18/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of eloquent in a Sentence

He [H. L. Mencken] relished the vagaries of vernacular speech and paid eloquent homage to them in The American Language. —Jackson Lears, New Republic, 27 Jan. 2003
Samuel Johnson is palmed off in classrooms as a harmless drudge of a lexicographer, yet open the Dictionary anywhere and find precision and eloquent plainness. —Guy Davenport, The Geography of the Imagination, (1954) 1981
There was a burst of applause, and a deep silence which was even more eloquent than the applause. —Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886
His success serves as an eloquent reminder of the value of hard work.
an eloquent writer and speaker, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the founders of the women's rights movement

Recent Examples of eloquent from the Web

One of the most anticipated sets of this year’s festival will feature eloquent, genre-bending guitarist Halvorson among like-minded innovators, including saxophonists Jon Irabagon and Ingrid Laubrock.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Don't miss these shows at the Chicago Jazz Fest," 30 Aug. 2017
Rees-Mogg is a passionate and eloquent defender of traditional British institutions on the floor of the House of Commons.

— jeff cimmino, National Review, "The Appeal of Jacob Rees-Mogg," 12 Aug. 2017
But in the 1930s, pro-immigrationists realized the poem was an eloquent statement of their cause.

— randy dotinga, The Christian Science Monitor, "How a poet brought the Statue of Liberty to life," 5 Aug. 2017
In defense of Obama Despite the eloquent concession, the 2008 presidential race between McCain and Obama was not all warm and fuzzy.

— kayla epstein, Washington Post, "Five of John McCain’s most courageous political moments," 20 July 2017
The president’s eloquent sobriety even carried over a bit into the domestic part of the program.

— joe klein, Daily Intelligencer, "Bush at War," 30 June 2017
But Havoc and Lil' Kim's tribute to him later on was eloquent, and Kendrick Lamar's shout-out to him in accepting his award later on was also touching.

— dan rys, Billboard, "The 10 Best Moments From the 2017 BET Awards," 26 June 2017
Many were hugging; the ceremony, a celebration of Warmbier’s life, had been funny and eloquent, much like the 22-year-old University of Virginia student who was beloved in this small suburb of Cincinnati and far beyond.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Senate Republicans want to get to yes on the health care bill," 23 June 2017
Many were wiping away tears; the ceremony, a celebration of Warmbier's life, had been funny and eloquent, much like the 22-year-old University of Virginia student, beloved by many in this small suburb of Cincinnati and far beyond.

— susan svrluga, chicagotribune.com, "'Let's bring it in': Otto Warmbier's family and friends celebrate his life at memorial," 22 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

Since "eloquent" can have to do with speaking, it makes sense that it comes from the Latin verb loqui, which means "to speak." "Loqui" is the parent of many "talkative" offspring in English. "Loquacious," which means "given to fluent or excessive talk," also arose from "loqui." Another "loqui" relative is "circumlocution," a word that means someone is talking around a subject to avoid making a direct statement (circum- means "around"). And a "ventriloquist" is someone who makes his or her voice sound like it’s coming from another source.

Origin and Etymology of eloquent

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin eloquent-, eloquens, from present participle of eloqui to speak out, from e- + loqui to speak

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

eloquent Synonyms

Synonyms

articulate, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken

Antonyms

inarticulate, ineloquent, unvocal

Related Words

facile, glib, smooth-tongued, voluble; expressive, outspoken, verbal, vocal; blabby, chatty, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, verbose; unfaltering, unhesitating

Near Antonyms

faltering, halting, hesitant, maundering, mumbling, muttering, sputtering, stammering, stumbling, stuttering; mute, speechless, tongueless, tongue-tied, voiceless

ELOQUENT Defined for English Language Learners

eloquent

play

adjective

Definition of eloquent for English Language Learners

: having or showing the ability to use language clearly and effectively
: clearly showing feeling or meaning

ELOQUENT Defined for Kids

eloquent

play

adjective el·o·quent \ ˈe-lə-kwənt \

Definition of eloquent for Students

1 :having or showing clear and forceful expression

an eloquent speaker

an eloquent plan

2 :clearly showing some feeling or meaning

an eloquent look

—

eloquently

adverb

Word Root of eloquent

The Latin word loquī, meaning “to talk” or “to speak,” and its form locūtus give us the roots locu and loqu. Words from the Latin loquī have something to do with talking. An eloquent speaker speaks clearly and well. Elocution is the art of speaking or reading well in public. A ventriloquist is a person who speaks so that the voice seems to come from elsewhere.