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
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
She quickly to turning to the theater, aided by elocution lessons, and found her calling.
—Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for elocution
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
She quickly to turning to the theater, aided by elocution lessons, and found her calling.
—Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for elocution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elocution
Noun
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What kind of speech is protected by the First Amendment?—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2025
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After the speech went viral, Springsteen released it as a track with a collection of recordings from that performance.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Unlike his small-time Israeli rivals, the placards implied, Netanyahu was a savvy statesman who punched above his weight on the international stage, thanks to his unaccented English oratory and ability to inveigle the world’s most powerful people.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
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Darrow, in spite of his powerful oratory, and in spite of outmaneuvering Bryan during their exchange, was up against the fact that Scopes had admitted to teaching evolution, in violation of the Butler Act.—
Dan Falk,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 May 2025
Noun
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Trump frequently used similarly bellicose rhetoric at various times during his first term.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
13 June 2025
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While the reactionary right offered the most frothing anti-gay rhetoric, much of the anti-gay policymaking happened under a Democrat, Bill Clinton.—
Lucas Schaefer
June 13,
Literary Hub,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Her writing and public speaking focus on wrongful convictions, storytelling, and personal transformation.—
Memoir Nation
May 19,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2025
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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 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elocution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elocution. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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