voice

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: sound produced by vertebrates by means of lungs, larynx, or syrinx
especially : sound so produced by human beings
b(1)
: musical sound produced by the vocal folds and resonated by the cavities of head and throat
(2)
: the power or ability to produce musical tones
(3)
: singer
(4)
: one of the melodic parts in a vocal or instrumental composition
(5)
: condition of the vocal organs with respect to production of musical tones
(6)
: the use of the voice (as in singing or acting)
studying voice
c
: expiration of air with the vocal cords drawn close so as to vibrate audibly (as in uttering vowels and consonant sounds as \v\ or \z\)
d
: the faculty of utterance
lost my voice
2
: a sound resembling or suggesting vocal utterance
3
: an instrument or medium of expression
the party became the voice of the workers
4
a
: wish, choice, or opinion openly or formally expressed
the voice of the people
b
: right of expression
also : influential power
5
: distinction of form or a system of inflections of a verb to indicate the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses
active and passive voices

voice

2 of 2

verb

voiced; voicing

transitive verb

1
: to express in words : utter
voice a complaint
2
: to adjust for producing the proper musical sounds
3
: to pronounce (a speech sound, such as a consonant) with voice
4
a
: to provide a voice-over for (something, such as a movie or commercial) : to narrate (a recorded production)
Actress Idina Menzel evoked her recent success voicing the movie "Frozen" with an icy all-white white concoction with a feathery train by Donna Karan Atelier.Jocelyn Noveck and Alicia Rancilio
b
: to perform the lines of (a character in an animated film, video game, etc.)
Featuring characters voiced by Will Ferrell and Morgan Freeman, the cartoon promises to be a real, ahem, blockbuster.Franz Lidz
Phrases
with one voice
: without dissent : unanimously
Choose the Right Synonym for voice

express, vent, utter, voice, broach, air mean to make known what one thinks or feels.

express suggests an impulse to reveal in words, gestures, actions, or what one creates or produces.

expressed her feelings in music

vent stresses a strong inner compulsion to express especially in words.

a tirade venting his frustration

utter implies the use of the voice not necessarily in articulate speech.

utter a groan

voice does not necessarily imply vocal utterance but does imply expression or formulation in words.

an editorial voicing their concerns

broach adds the implication of disclosing for the first time something long thought over or reserved for a suitable occasion.

broached the subject of a divorce

air implies an exposing or parading of one's views often in order to gain relief or sympathy or attention.

publicly airing their differences

Examples of voice in a Sentence

Noun He has a deep voice. “Can we speak privately?” she said in a low voice. a voice on the radio We heard voices coming from the next room. She does the voices for several cartoon characters. I shouted so much that I lost my voice. She has a terrific voice. Town meetings give people a voice in local politics. Listen to the voice of the people. Please vote and make your voices heard! Verb The senator angrily voiced his objection to the bill. voiced a suggestion about where to go
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The contract covers voice and performance-capture talent on video games, and the union has repeatedly sounded the alarm on how AI could negatively impact these professions. Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2024 Frankenweenie also has a great voice cast that includes Martin Short, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. Keith Langston, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
The award-winning documentarian has yet to voice her version of the events depicted in Nancy’s (Lesley Manville) book — her attempts repeatedly suppressed as others rush to judgment. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024 That could hit the spot for a lot of avid viewers, many of whom have voiced criticism of the national broadcast crews in recent weeks. Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for voice 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'voice.' 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

Noun

Middle English, from Old French vois, from Latin voc-, vox; akin to Old High German giwahanen to mention, Greek epos word, speech, Sanskrit vāk voice

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of voice was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near voice

Cite this Entry

“Voice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voice. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

voice

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: sound produced by vertebrates in the larynx or syrinx
especially : sound so produced by human beings (as in speaking)
b
: the power of speaking
lost my voice
2
a
: musical sound produced by the vocal cords
b
: the ability to sing
a singer with a great voice
c
: singer entry 1
one of the finest voices of our time
d
: one of the melodic parts in a vocal or instrumental composition
e
: condition of the vocal organs for singing
in good voice
3
: a sound like a vocal sound
the voice of the cricket
4
: a medium of expression
the newspaper was the voice of optimism
5
a
: wish, choice, or opinion openly or formally expressed
the law was passed despite many opposing voices
b
: the right to express a wish, choice, or opinion
students want a voice in school affairs
6
: a grammatical form showing the relation between the subject of a verb and the action which the verb expresses

voice

2 of 2 verb
voiced; voicing
1
: to express in words
voice a complaint
2
: to vibrate the vocal cords in pronouncing
voice a consonant

Medical Definition

voice

noun
1
: sound produced by vertebrates by means of lungs, larynx, or syrinx
especially : sound so produced by human beings
2
: the faculty of utterance : speech
voice transitive verb
voiced; voicing

More from Merriam-Webster on voice

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