voluble
adjective
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Voluble traces back to Latin volvere, meaning "to set in a circular course" or "to cause to roll." English rolled with that meaning, using voluble as an adjective to describe things easily rolling, changing, or turning, and later added the meaning of Latin volūbilis, which implies readily flowing speech. Today, voluble most often describes an individual who speaks easily and often.
Examples of voluble in a Sentence
Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023
Iran has expressed voluble support for Hamas since the war began.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
Mongolian authorities have also allowed voluble expressions of opposition to Putin’s war within their country.
—Tuvshinzaya Gantulga, Foreign Affairs, 6 Oct. 2023
These events served as a sobering revelation: Putin had misjudged Prigozhin and his outrage, underestimating the danger posed by the voluble and volatile caterer turned mercenary commander.
—Tatiana Stanovaya, Foreign Affairs, 8 Aug. 2023
The show was set in the archetypal Wild West and centered on an itinerant cowboy-gunman named Dave Blassingame, whose occasional partner in mischief is a voluble gambler, Burgundy Smith.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023
Marcelle and Charles’s voluble 28-year-old daughter Elodie (Carly Zien) never lacks for opinions and has been grappling with mental health challenges.
—Christopher Wallenberg, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2023
Rose herself is not a voluble teller of such stories.
—Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
The scenes with the students and their teacher, Mr. G., who is caught between his empathy and his rage against feminism, are stunningly funny; the former NFL star Marshawn Lynch plays him with a voluble conviction that keeps on giving.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'voluble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English volible, voluble "able to turn, changing," borrowed from Latin volūbilis "turning on its axis, rolling, flowing, (of speech) readily flowing, fluent," from volū-, variant stem of volvere "to set in a circular course, cause to roll" + -bilis "capable (of acting) or worthy (of being acted upon)" — more at wallow entry 1, -able
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Cite this Entry
“Voluble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voluble. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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