speech

Definition of speechnext
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 Talarico urged love of one’s neighbor and decried a broken political system during the roughly 10- minute speech. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2026 Swift reportedly gave a heartfelt speech at Gomez’s wedding. Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026 To Cuba observers and people on the island, there was little in his speech that was new or signaled major economic reforms. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026 But his reason for giving that particular speech had everything to do with the country today. Hillel Italie, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speech
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speech
Noun
  • Each course consists of a video lecture and ends with a quiz that must be passed to move on to the next unit.
    Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
  • On opening weekend, guests can enjoy the opening ceremony, historic lecture, dinner, the Jockey Club opening and Kentucky Derby celebration, dancing with live music and other events.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In another study published in October 2025, Kucker and her colleagues found the caregivers’ temperaments, and that of their child’s, influences digital media use and thereby language learning.
    Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Compounding the problem is the language of this provision.
    Tim Regan-Porter, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Oil surges as Iran picks Khamenei’s son as supreme leader, but comes off a tad after the Financial Times reported about talks on a possible coordinated release of reserves.
    Nasteho Said, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Impala Platinum has opened formal talks with Zimbabwe’s central bank and lined up meetings with both the South African and Zimbabwean governments to press for clarity on Harare’s export-earnings policy, its CEO told Semafor, escalating a commercial cash-flow dispute into bilateral negotiations.
    Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • So to get to be playing the character who originated a saying that is a huge part of my vocabulary — and that I’ve been so obsessed with for so long — is crazy.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Rosanna Arquette has a major issue with Quentin Tarantino's vocabulary.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The artist gives Mary the address of his studio, which is very close, and when Maudie departs, Mary has an urge to visit him.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Meanwhile, police used license plate information that Parrish had called in before approaching Kearse to identify the attacker’s vehicle and home address, where Kearse was arrested.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • On March 2—one day before debuting her new pageboy bob at Paris Fashion Week—Hadid made her grand entrance in a pair of straight-leg jeans that stop well above the ankle, showing off much of her beige crew sock and the entire tongue of her black loafers.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2026
  • If our fates were inscribed in our genetics, why would anyone bother to maintain a skin-care routine, much less go to the trouble of jamming his tongue against the top of his mouth or whacking himself with a hammer?
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • During the Trump era, many Democratic politicians have delivered soaring orations, exhorting the American people to be vigilant about safeguarding democracy.
    Michael Luo, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims, but the Kurdish population has diverse religious, cultural, social and political traditions, as well as a variety of dialects of the Kurdish language.
    Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
  • How could food from India’s 23 states — with multitudinous subregions and over a thousand dialects — ever be distilled into the generic naan, dal, butter chicken, dosa and sambar?
    Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speech. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on speech

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster