1
: one who delivers an oration
The orator delivered the funeral oration at the cathedral.
2
: one distinguished for skill and power as a public speaker
is a masterly orator, able to reduce a throng of thousands to a hushed silence—
Raymond Bonner
Raymond BonnerExamples of orator in a Sentence
though a brilliant wordsmith, Thomas Jefferson was by his own admission an unskilled orator
Recent Examples on the Web
Mehdi Hasan, a fiery orator who once held forth on weekends for MSNBC, started his own digital outlet, Zeteo.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 May 2025
Booker’s Senate stunt was a means to portray himself as a great orator, a leader who is empathetic to the average individual disparaged by billionaire types and President Donald Trump.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
America's 250th Anniversary A Smithsonian magazine special report Massachusetts doctor Joseph Warren was a prominent patriot during the American Revolution, a stirring orator who managed a busy medical practice as well as a spy network.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 June 2025
But one of the most unforgettable moments of the day came from the commencement orator himself — Emmy, Grammy, NAACP Image and Peabody Award-winning actor and literacy advocate, LeVar Burton.
—Oumou Fofana, Essence, 12 May 2025
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Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 May 2025
Booker’s Senate stunt was a means to portray himself as a great orator, a leader who is empathetic to the average individual disparaged by billionaire types and President Donald Trump.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
America's 250th Anniversary A Smithsonian magazine special report Massachusetts doctor Joseph Warren was a prominent patriot during the American Revolution, a stirring orator who managed a busy medical practice as well as a spy network.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 June 2025
But one of the most unforgettable moments of the day came from the commencement orator himself — Emmy, Grammy, NAACP Image and Peabody Award-winning actor and literacy advocate, LeVar Burton.
—Oumou Fofana, Essence, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for orator
Cite this Entry
“Orator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orator. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
orator
noun
or·a·tor
ˈȯr-ət-ər 
ˈär-
: a public speaker noted for skill and power in speaking
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