Definition of philippic
:a discourse or declamation full of bitter condemnation :tirade
What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
From the M-W Editors
philippic was our Word of the Day on 02/11/2008. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of philippic in a Sentence
the head coach was briefly suspended after launching into a foul-mouthed philippic during a press conference
Did You Know?
In 351 B.C., the Greek orator Demosthenes delivered a fiery speech warning his countrymen against the imperialistic designs of Philip II, king of Macedon, and chastising them for their timidity and inaction. In Greek, this and subsequent such speeches on the subject made by Demosthenes were known as philippikoi logoi, literally, "speeches relating to Philip." Demosthenes is known to have delivered only three Philippics; in contrast, the Philippics of the Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero attacking Marc Antony some 300 years later - orationes philippicae in Latin (so-named because of their similarity to Demosthenes' orations) - numbered fourteen. We still capitalize the word when we refer to these famous diatribes, but ever since 1592, philippic has been used (usually in lowercase) in a broader sense as well.
Origin and Etymology of philippic
Middle French philippique, from Latin & Greek; Latin philippica, orationes philippicae, speeches of Cicero against Mark Antony, translation of Greek philippikoi logoi, speeches of Demosthenes against Philip II of Macedon, literally, speeches relating to Philip
philippic Synonyms
Synonyms
diatribe, harangue, jeremiad, tirade, rantRelated Words
assault, attack, broadside, invective, lambasting, lashing, tongue-lashing, vituperation; berating, chewing out, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reproof; abuse, castigation, censure, condemnation, criticism, denunciation; belittlement, deprecation, depreciation, disparagement, dissing; excoriation, execration, revilement; admonishment, admonition, lecture, sermonNear Antonyms
encomium, eulogy, panegyric, rhapsody, tribute; acclaim, acclamation, accolade, citation, homage, honor, praise; approval, blessing, commendation, endorsement (also indorsement), sanction; ovation, plaudit, raveLearn More about philippic
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for philippic
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up philippic? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
