plural speeches
1
: a spoken expression of ideas, opinions, etc., that is made by someone who is speaking in front of a group of people
She has to make/give/deliver a speech at the convention.
a graduation speech about/on embracing future challenges
He kept revising his speech [=the words that he had written for his speech] right up until the last minute.
She thanked us in her acceptance speech. [=a speech given by someone receiving an award or prize]
2
: the ability to speak
I was so flustered that I momentarily lost the power of speech.
She has a mild speech impediment. [=a condition that makes it difficult to speak normally]
They fought for freedom of speech. = They fought for the right to/of free speech. [=they fought for the legal right to express their opinions freely]
3
: spoken language
Slang is used mostly in informal/casual speech.
Many words are more common in speech than in writing.
4
: the manner or style of speaking that is used by a particular person or group
His speech was slurred.
local/regional speech patterns
5
: a group of lines spoken by a character in a play
I get to perform one of the best speeches in the play.
Cite this Entry
“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/speech. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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