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
Ever the colorful orator, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, has something to say.
—Susan Howson, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Parish ministry is extraordinarily challenging, requiring the skills of a counselor, orator, executive director, fund-raiser, politician, volunteer coordinator, handyman, teacher, hospice chaplain, liturgist and writer — while never losing your temper or falling in love or appearing imperfect.
—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Many Senegalese casting their ballots for him saw him merely as a proxy for Mr. Sonko, 49, a fiery orator who was jailed and barred from running, and who tapped Mr. Faye to run in his place.
—Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
Some called him the Highbrow Hobo, others a curbstone orator, a walking encyclopedia, or a human history book.
—Michael Jackman, Detroit Free Press, 9 Mar. 2024
Lincoln arrived back in Washington, D.C. from Pennsylvania late on November 19, 1863, suffering from variola, a supposedly mild form of smallpox that proved severe enough to send the exhausted orator to his sickbed for weeks.
—Harold Holzer, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024
That makes Lopez a versatile orator, but his flexibility might carry even more value in the field.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024
Julius Rosenwald, a philanthropist and president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, launched the project in partnership with Black American orator and president of the Tuskegee Institute, Booker T. Washington.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN, 1 Feb. 2024
With a sliver of the imposing Beaux Arts federal building rising from the left, the phalanx is framed by leafy green trees — an ensemble rather like classical sculptures of ancient deities, orators and ancestors prowling a 17th century garden at an English manor.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024
Susan Howson, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Parish ministry is extraordinarily challenging, requiring the skills of a counselor, orator, executive director, fund-raiser, politician, volunteer coordinator, handyman, teacher, hospice chaplain, liturgist and writer — while never losing your temper or falling in love or appearing imperfect.
—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Many Senegalese casting their ballots for him saw him merely as a proxy for Mr. Sonko, 49, a fiery orator who was jailed and barred from running, and who tapped Mr. Faye to run in his place.
—Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
Some called him the Highbrow Hobo, others a curbstone orator, a walking encyclopedia, or a human history book.
—Michael Jackman, Detroit Free Press, 9 Mar. 2024
Lincoln arrived back in Washington, D.C. from Pennsylvania late on November 19, 1863, suffering from variola, a supposedly mild form of smallpox that proved severe enough to send the exhausted orator to his sickbed for weeks.
—Harold Holzer, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024
That makes Lopez a versatile orator, but his flexibility might carry even more value in the field.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024
Julius Rosenwald, a philanthropist and president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, launched the project in partnership with Black American orator and president of the Tuskegee Institute, Booker T. Washington.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN, 1 Feb. 2024
With a sliver of the imposing Beaux Arts federal building rising from the left, the phalanx is framed by leafy green trees — an ensemble rather like classical sculptures of ancient deities, orators and ancestors prowling a 17th century garden at an English manor.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024
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 19 Apr. 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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