1
as in lecture
a usually formal discourse delivered to an audience
the guest of honor gave a short speech in appreciation of the award
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in language
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication
wanting to develop a writing system for his people, Sequoya created a system of 86 symbols representing all the syllables of Cherokee speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of speech
The court has also found that hyperbolic political speech is protected.
—
Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
The data also lets teachers pinpoint kids who are speaking less than their peers and then work to determine if the child is shy or perhaps has signs of a speech delay the parents should discuss with their pediatrician.
—Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Watching the House chamber from the viewing gallery before the speech was like peering into a garden party from above.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
His was quite an emotional speech, spoken at times with humor and passion.
—Brie Stimson , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speech
Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
The data also lets teachers pinpoint kids who are speaking less than their peers and then work to determine if the child is shy or perhaps has signs of a speech delay the parents should discuss with their pediatrician.
—Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Watching the House chamber from the viewing gallery before the speech was like peering into a garden party from above.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
His was quite an emotional speech, spoken at times with humor and passion.
—Brie Stimson , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speech
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speech
Noun
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Chapman’s lecture was one of several sessions making up the first day of Screen Forever 40, the three-day industry conference marking the 40th edition of the Screen Producers Australia gathering.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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Audiences are now challenging the media’s monopoly and the top-down lecture modes of addressing viewers and readers, which in some cases can present ethical challenges.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The language of civil rights will always be most appealing to political minorities in search of procedural arguments to temper or frustrate the will of the majority.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
In late March, Tijuana officials introduced an English-language app known as the Emergency Button, or Botón de Emergencia.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Starmer’s Labour colleague David Lammy, who arranged the talks, thought that Obama could offer useful advice to Starmer, the son of a working-class toolmaker.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Alternativa is addressing the issue by creating a distribution arm that has already been in talks with platforms, TV channels, in-flight systems and other ancillary distribution modes.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Honesty isn’t in her vocabulary.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
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By the end of the learning unit, Burton said growth in the children could be seen as their vocabularies expanded to using words such as thermometer, blood pressure and punctured.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Earlier in the day, Charles delivered a rare address to a joint session of Congress, highlighting the second day of his four-day state visit and placing the spotlight on the strained but enduring relationship between his country and the United States.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Yet Johnson and Fernandez, who started a consultancy around the time of Jack Thorne’s blistering MacTaggart address about disability before moving to Casarotto, say their research has found that fewer than 20% of TV productions have worked with access coordinators.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Princess Charlotte got cheeky at her parents' charity sailing race in August 2019, sticking her tongue out at her grandfather Michael Middleton (and the entire crowd in the process)!—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
-
Told in a myriad of voices and tongues, El Sayed’s gripping debut questions who deserves a new start, whether onboard or on land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Though the speech was likely written by the government—in keeping with long-standing tradition that the monarch speaks for the government during high-profile oration—the king did find a way to put his own flair on a few of the jokes, and got plenty of laughs from Congress.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
29 Apr. 2026
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And Edward Norton tried to see McKellen’s poetry and raise him an even more on-the-nose piece of oration.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fisher’s Amish roots and ability to speak Pennsylvania Dutch, the Old Order Amish dialect, has helped build rapport with likeminded musicians.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
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Even minor differences in curriculum or language and dialect can pose significant challenges and reduce the shareability of these programs.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speech. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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