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 Bonner
Examples of orator in a Sentence
though a brilliant wordsmith, Thomas Jefferson was by his own admission an unskilled orator
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite having received no formal education, Douglass proved to be a dazzling orator who had firsthand experience of enslavement.
—Christine Kinealy, The Conversation, 14 June 2024
In the final version, Esposito plays Franklyn Cicero, a politician loosely inspired by both David Dinkins (who served as New York’s first Black mayor from 1990 to 1993) and Roman writer, poet, lawyer, statesman, and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC).
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
Baldwin is a commanding orator, soulful storyteller, and fierce advocate for justice.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2024
Harris isn’t a particularly good orator, in part because her persona behind the podium doesn’t seem like an extension of her personality away from it.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for orator 
Christine Kinealy, The Conversation, 14 June 2024
In the final version, Esposito plays Franklyn Cicero, a politician loosely inspired by both David Dinkins (who served as New York’s first Black mayor from 1990 to 1993) and Roman writer, poet, lawyer, statesman, and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC).
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
Baldwin is a commanding orator, soulful storyteller, and fierce advocate for justice.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2024
Harris isn’t a particularly good orator, in part because her persona behind the podium doesn’t seem like an extension of her personality away from it.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for orator
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near orator
Cite this Entry
“Orator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orator. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
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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