ventriloquist

noun

ven·​tril·​o·​quist ven-ˈtri-lə-kwist How to pronounce ventriloquist (audio)
: one who uses or is skilled in ventriloquism
especially : one who provides entertainment by using ventriloquism to carry on an apparent conversation with a hand-manipulated dummy
ventriloquistic adjective

Examples of ventriloquist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Magic starred Hopkins as Corky, a magician who reaches fame alongside his ventriloquist’s dummy, the obnoxious and wisecracking Fats. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 Growing up, Levine preferred listening to speaking, which accounts for her ventriloquist’s interest in language. Literary Hub, 15 May 2026 His ventriloquist doll is antique, too. Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026 And to consider her as existing separate from her creators is like imagining that the ventriloquist dummy Charlie McCarthy could have a career, and an agent, separate from the real performer Edgar Bergen. Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ventriloquist

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin ventriloquus "person who appears to produce speech sounds from within the body (as during spirit possession or under control of a deity)" (from Latin ventr-, venter "belly, abdomen" + -i- -i- + -loquus, agent derivative of loquī "to speak") + -ist entry 1 — more at venter, eloquent

Note: The Late Latin word was coined as a translation of Greek engastrímythos.

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ventriloquist was circa 1656

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ventriloquist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ventriloquist. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

ventriloquist

noun
ven·​tril·​o·​quist ven-ˈtril-ə-kwəst How to pronounce ventriloquist (audio)
: a person skilled in speaking in such a way that the voice seems to come from a source other than the speaker
ventriloquism
-ˌkwiz-əm
noun
Etymology

from Latin ventriloquus "ventriloquist," from ventr-, venter "stomach, belly" and loqui "to speak"; so called from the early belief that the voice is produced in the ventriloquist's stomach

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