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
The same demand was a cornerstone of Paxton’s victory speech.
—
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
But shortly into his speech, the fashion designer ripped up his notecard and revealed the words were a gimmick, before launching into his own take on the importance of authenticity in art and design.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Continue reading … OPINION DOUGLAS MACKINNON — Pete Hegseth’s anti-DEI speech at West Point is a template to save American lives.
—FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Los Altos hosts its seventh annual Juneteenth Festival, with rum punch, beer and wine alongside speeches, dance performances, art, music, food and vendors.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for speech
Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
But shortly into his speech, the fashion designer ripped up his notecard and revealed the words were a gimmick, before launching into his own take on the importance of authenticity in art and design.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Continue reading … OPINION DOUGLAS MACKINNON — Pete Hegseth’s anti-DEI speech at West Point is a template to save American lives.
—FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Los Altos hosts its seventh annual Juneteenth Festival, with rum punch, beer and wine alongside speeches, dance performances, art, music, food and vendors.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for speech
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speech
Noun
-
In college while studying developmental psychology, a professor pointed out during a lecture that infants learn language by hearing it.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
24 May 2026
-
But another way to interpret this lecture, and indeed much of Anthropic’s work as a company, is as a warning from the people who are closest to this strange new technology, and who can see where it is headed.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
The catalog runs to more than 400 Chinese-language, 200 English-language and 50 Korean titles spanning variety, reality and comedy.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 May 2026
-
His novels have been translated into twenty different languages.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Peace talks face a key hurdle in Tehran’s insistence on keeping enriched uranium stockpile within the country and levying tolls for passage via the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
-
Further talks are expected over a longer term deal.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
There’s going to be some ups and downs – but up wasn’t even in the team vocabulary the past three years.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
From nine finalists to one champion All told, there were seven spelling rounds and one multiple-choice vocabulary round, which was added to the onstage competition in 2021 to put less emphasis on rote memorization.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The backstory Opened in 1970 as the first Four Seasons outside Canada, this Park Lane address remains one of the brand’s most significant properties.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
Those ingredients stayed, and when Harris joined other aspects came to the front of the story, like going back to her old address and the issue of friendship.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Padding at the tongues and collars offer a secure fit that keeps your feet firmly in place, and grippy rubber outsoles will do wonders to eliminate slipping during unexpected summer showers.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2026
-
Panting causes air to flow rapidly over the tongue, allowing body heat to be transferred from the blood to the air.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 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
-
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
-
Fiercely independent, Mallorcans even speak Mallorqui, a dialect of the Catalan language.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
-
Language is often a reflection of the culture that shapes it, impacting tone, idioms, dialects and even silence across regions.—
Ryan Kolln,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speech. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
