ventriloquism

noun ven·tril·o·quism \ ven-ˈtri-lə-ˌkwi-zəm \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of ventriloquism

1 : the production of the voice in such a way that the sound seems to come from a source other than the vocal organs of the speaker

2 : the expression of one's views and attitudes through another; especially : such expression by a writer through a fictional character or literary persona

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ventriloquial

play \ˌven-trə-ˈlō-kwē-əl\ adjective

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ventriloquially

play \ˌven-trə-ˈlō-kwē-ə-lē\ adverb

Recent Examples of ventriloquism from the Web

Farmer, who loved to sing as a young child but was fearful of audiences, became interested in ventriloquism while involved in kiddie pageants in her native Oklahoma.

— greg crawford, Detroit Free Press, "Plan your weekend: 'Tosca,' ventriloquist Darci Lynne, Afro-Caribbean cook-off," 4 Apr. 2018
The Oklahoma native was wowing crowds with her singing ventriloquism acts long before AGT.

— courtney campbell, Country Living, "Watch Darci Lynne Farmer's Incredible Elvis Impersonation," 27 Oct. 2017
Renowned ballerina Marianela Nuñez was whirling through fouettes, while a ventriloquism record explained how to make a dummy recite the alphabet.

— lawrence toppman, charlotteobserver, "He choreographed a bloody wedding for ‘Game of Thrones,’ but this Charlotte show? It’s for families. | Charlotte Observer," 4 Mar. 2018
Smith writes a bravura monologue, a virtuosic act of ventriloquism.

— hermione hoby, New Republic, "Zadie Smith’s Varieties of Individuality," 20 Feb. 2018
And yet somehow the ventriloquism doesn't sit well.

— michael lindgren, Houston Chronicle, "The story of the most dangerous cup of coffee in the world," 2 Feb. 2018
For so long, there was a stigma attached to ventriloquism.

— andrea cheng, Billboard, "Terry Fator on Darci Lynne Farmer's 'America's Got Talent' Win: 'I Felt Like a Proud Dad'," 25 Sep. 2017
Your talent is ventriloquism, which is quite unusual for Miss America.

— amanda coyne, Cosmopolitan, "Meet The Yodeling Ventriloquist Competing at This Year's Miss America," 8 Sep. 2017
Juggling, however, is generally seen as more of a skill or an art form than a sport, like calligraphy or ventriloquism.

— phil rosenthal, chicagotribune.com, "'ESPN8: The Ocho' to replace ESPNU — if only for a day," 4 Aug. 2017

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