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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of speech
Cross-dressing was prohibited, as were speeches that mocked or questioned the party’s prudish, pro-family, heteronormative views on gender and sexuality; traditional German culture was to be celebrated, not mocked.
—
Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
Calhoun made a speech with the team on a wooden platform.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
In February, Zahnd publicly revoked his endorsement of Fricker’s reelection campaign in a speech before the county commission and then through a press release including screenshots of text message exchanges among Zahnd, Fricker and Holland.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
In the latest case, Colorado officials argued that the law − which is similar to restrictions in about half the states – regulates professional conduct, not speech.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speech
Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
Calhoun made a speech with the team on a wooden platform.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
In February, Zahnd publicly revoked his endorsement of Fricker’s reelection campaign in a speech before the county commission and then through a press release including screenshots of text message exchanges among Zahnd, Fricker and Holland.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
In the latest case, Colorado officials argued that the law − which is similar to restrictions in about half the states – regulates professional conduct, not speech.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speech
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speech
Noun
-
As Nina Corcoran noted yesterday, there’s something a little off about ye olde lecture series.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Tables had to be put in place following the lecture so attendees could sample the food Etebari’s mother prepared.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Speech-language pathologists work with people who have disorders involving speech, language and swallowing, sometimes from injuries, medical conditions or developmental delays.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Once each semester, Grit Matthias Phelps, a German language instructor at Cornell University, introduces her students to the raw feeling of typing without online assistance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the proposal was full of cartoonishly goofy faux spy talk.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Pakistan said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send top diplomats to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war, arriving Sunday for a two-day visit.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The fact that the same software enabled such a range of idiosyncratic styles decisively undermines any claim of a causal relationship between Gehry’s digital tools and his formal vocabulary.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Ehrlich’s contributions to that vocabulary proved far more durable than his predictions.—
Brian C. Keegan,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the event of a dispute, entries will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Fill out the form or email me at the address at the bottom of this page.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In another part of the factory, a worker used a wooden stick, like a tongue compressor at a doctor’s office, to scrape excess bits of explosive out of the grooves inside each shell, ensuring that the base would screw on smoothly.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The sediment close to their roots can be as sweet as fruit nectars or tree sap, although to human tongues the mud tastes overwhelmingly of salt and decay.—
David George Haskell,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Jackson said King was in no mood to speak the night of April 3, but found the energy to give what turned out to be his last oration.—
Jim Williams,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Human communication with honeyguides in northern Mozambique occurs in local dialects.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The gambit that Shelley somehow comes to possess her fictional creation is sustained, as Ida alternates between a very American dialect and a more high-toned British accent.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speech. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
