as in speech
the art of speaking in public eloquently and effectively
the oft-told story that he practiced elocution by learning to speak with a mouth full of pebbles
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elocution
At first, she was struck by Roosevelt's more recognizable voice, bearing the extreme elocution of a transatlantic accent.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 June 2024
Elizabeth—with her precise elocution, her terrifying and obvious sincerity—sounded like a woman on the brink of a great cosmic battle.
—Emily Harnett, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
Rosetta was unusually anxious about public speaking, so she was given elocution lessons.
—Anita Gates, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2023
Would elocution stand a chance if it were formally reintroduced into the school curriculum today?
—Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for elocution
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 June 2024
Elizabeth—with her precise elocution, her terrifying and obvious sincerity—sounded like a woman on the brink of a great cosmic battle.
—Emily Harnett, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
Rosetta was unusually anxious about public speaking, so she was given elocution lessons.
—Anita Gates, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2023
Would elocution stand a chance if it were formally reintroduced into the school curriculum today?
—Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for elocution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elocution
Noun
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Trump focused his speech on Washington, D.C., claiming its murder rate was higher than those of Bogotá, Colombia, and Mexico City, among other cities in the world.—
Jesus Mesa
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
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The day kicks off, interestingly, with a talk on the value of academic speech from alum Christopher L. Eisgruber, president of Princeton University.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Known for his extraordinary oratory skills, everyone who has been around Levy has a story to tell about his Marvisms and motivational speeches.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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Hugo would likely have been repelled and fascinated by Trump’s demagoguery, his rambling mendacity, his grammatically illogical but easy-to-follow oratory.—
Graham Robb,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Trump ordered some 450 federal agents to patrol the nation's capital and target crime on Aug. 9 and 10 amid his escalating rhetoric condemning violent crime in the city.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
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Celina Stewart, the CEO of the League of Women Voters, agreed, telling Glamour that this sort of rhetoric should be treated seriously.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Leo full moon on the 12th encourages you to use your voice more boldly, whether that’s through writing, teaching, public speaking, or social media.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Aug. 2025
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But one thing triggered him every time: public speaking.—
Chiara Alzati,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elocution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elocution. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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