speech

noun

1
a
: the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words
b
: exchange of spoken words : conversation
2
a
: something that is spoken : utterance
b
: a usually public discourse : address
3
b
: an individual manner or style of speaking
4
: the power of expressing or communicating thoughts by speaking

Examples of speech in a Sentence

She has to make a speech at the convention. a graduation speech about embracing future challenges I was so flustered that I momentarily lost the power of speech. Slang is used mostly in informal speech. Many words are more common in speech than in writing.
Recent Examples on the Web Commissioner Werfel opened his speech at American University with a video clip from the Simpsons, in which Homer is heard loudly booing the IRS. Scott Horsley, NPR, 24 Mar. 2024 In addition to the keynote speech from First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Jean Smart and Sterling K. Brown were honored with the National Equality Award and the Ally for Equality Award, respectively. Rance Collins, Variety, 24 Mar. 2024 In recent weeks, Queen Camilla, ironically once seen as a threat to the monarchy, has been a royal stalwart, attending several events on her own, giving speeches and handing out accolades. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024 That’s why politicians rarely let profanity slip in speeches or interviews. Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024 Over the past few weeks, the Court has heard arguments in three cases that deal with controlling political speech and misinformation online. Scott Duke Kominers, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2024 The actress made an appearance on the latest episode of Hot Ones, where host Sean Evans brought up a point Cord Jefferson made during his recent Oscar speech. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 During Zoë’s speech, the actress mentioned her father’s love for see-through shirts. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 The Boss Baby actor went on stage, read the lengthy post, and closed his speech with a question that caused the room to erupt with laughter. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speech.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English speche, from Old English sprǣc, spǣc; akin to Old English sprecan to speak — more at speak

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of speech was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near speech

Cite this Entry

“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speech. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

speech

noun
1
: the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words
2
a
: something that is spoken
b
: a public talk
3
: a form of communication (as a language or dialect) used by a particular group
4
: the power of expressing or communicating thoughts by speaking

Medical Definition

speech

noun
: the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words

Legal Definition

speech

noun
: words or conduct used to communicate or express a thought : expression see also commercial speech, freedom of speech, free speech, obscene, symbolic speech

More from Merriam-Webster on speech

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