orator

or·a·tor | \ ˈȯr-ə-tər

How to pronounce orator (audio)

, ˈär- \

Definition of orator

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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about orator

Keep scrolling for more

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 The great orator and abolitionist continued championing freedom for slaves. — Kwin Mosby, Travel + Leisure, "How Travel Shaped Frederick Douglass’ Famous Speech 'What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?'," 1 July 2020 For one thing, Roosevelt was one of history’s most inspiring and comforting orators. — Los Angeles Times, "Column: Give Newsom credit. He’s trying it all to fight coronavirus and California’s economic collapse," 23 Apr. 2020 Like a succession of orators speaking to a skeptical audience, each person strives to outdo previous speakers, leading to some common patterns. — Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, "Why It Feels Like Everything Is Going Haywire," 12 Nov. 2019 During a July competition to honor the century-plus tradition of orators facing off in the square to argue politics or whatever else strikes their fancy, Hopkins promised to call for the council to enact the winning speaker’s issue. — Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, "The Spin: Illinois fair sets record with help from Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire | Chicago alderman says he’ll withdraw pot plan | Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren both in town," 19 Sep. 2019 Caesar was clever, a gifted orator and writer, a fearsome military strategist with ambitious plans for Rome. — Joanna Kenty, The Conversation, "Julius Caesar refused to be crowned king," 12 Mar. 2020 Apparently the ancient Greek orator knew that New York in 1868 was stuffed with cash and war-profiteer millionaires looking for ways to spend it. — John Strausbaugh, National Review, "The Scandalous and Pioneering Victoria Woodhull," 8 Feb. 2020 Researchers used CT scans, 3D models, and an instrument called a Vocal Tract Organ to determine what the ancient orator might've sounded like so long ago. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, "Using Science to Hear an Ancient Mummy Speak," 1 Feb. 2020 No finger-wagging, no thundering denunciations, no playing to the crowd, none of the rhetorical flourishes so beloved by political orators. — John Wildermuth, SFChronicle.com, "Kamala Harris, Dianne Feinstein are heard from but not seen in Trump trial," 29 Jan. 2020

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about orator

Dictionary Entries near orator

Statistics for orator

Last Updated

8 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Orator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orator. Accessed 15 Jul. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

indite

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Words for Summer: A Quiz

Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.