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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elocution
Noun
  • After Michelle Wolf's controversial monologue in 2018 received mixed reviews from critics, the WHCA chose historian Ron Chernow to present a speech the following year.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Blake Lively pays tribute to her mother, who survived an attack on her life before Lively was born, in a speech at the Time100 Gala in New York.
    J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Then with some of the most stirring words in American oratory, Kennedy told the students — and all of us — that individual courage can be a powerful force for good.
    John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Netanyahu has done little to aid Ukraine even in his oratory.
    Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Despite the current rhetoric, there seems to be rare agreement on addressing what many believe is a high-stakes issue.
    Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
  • While Trump vowed repeatedly during the 2016, 2020 and 2024 election cycles not to cut Medicare, his actual record belies the rhetoric.
    Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This approach, which claims to improve efficiency, leads students to learn up to twice as fast, enabling afternoons to be used for workshops in coding, entrepreneurship, or public speaking.
    Ray Ravaglia, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • This includes emotional public speaking, tagging, looting, vandalism, or provoking the police.
    Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Elocution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elocution. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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