Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The art of public speaking in which gesture, vocal production, and delivery are emphasized.
- n. A style or manner of speaking, especially in public.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The manner of speaking in public; the art of correct delivery in speaking or reading; the art which teaches the proper use of the voice, gesture, etc., in public speaking.
- n. Eloquence in style or delivery; effective utterance or expression.
- n. Speech; the power or act of speaking.
- n. Synonyms Elocution, Delivery. These words are quite independent of their derivation. Elocution has narrowed its meaning (see quotation from E. Porter, above), and has broadened it to take in gesture. They are now essentially the same, covering bodily carriage and gesture as well as the use of the voice. Elocution sometimes seems more manifestly a matter of art than delivery. See oratory.
Wiktionary
- n. The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. rare Utterance by speech.
- n. Oratorical or expressive delivery, including the graces of intonation, gesture, etc.; style or manner of speaking or reading in public.
- n. obsolete Suitable and impressive writing or style; eloquent diction.
WordNet 3.0
- n. an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture
Etymologies
- Middle English elocucioun, from Latin ēlocūtiō, ēlocūtiōn-, from ēlocūtus, past participle of ēloquī, to speak out : ē-, ex-, ex- + loquī, to speak; see tolkw- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Reader: Being able to read aloud, fluently and with expression and good elocution, is a very valuable thing.”
“The provost at University of Michigan claims that they are too keeping up with changing times, after all - they have recently stopped offering majors in elocution and animal husbandry ...”
“We have a school of oratory, also classes in elocution and movements, excellently managed by women.”
“On the stage they pronounce the syllables and words extremely distinct, so that at the theatres you may always gain most instruction in English elocution and pronunciation.”
“Barring the first prize winner in Tamil elocution, all the remaining students were from the university departments, the Centre Coordinator S. Iyyampillai said.”
“I wish Mr. Wray success; though I rather think Tidbury is not quite the sort of place to come to for what you call elocution -- eh? ”
The Stolen Mask; or The Mysterious Cash-box. A Story for a Christmas Fireside
“61 Uprightness in elocution was not a matter of aesthetic pretense but a physiological condition allowing for an unhampered flow of spirits throughout the body, particularly among the liver, heart, and brain, which according to Avicenna and Galen were the respective seats of the natural, vital and animal spirits. 62 More generally, upright posture was believed to have enabled humans to observe the heavens and wonder beyond the mortal coil.”
Architecture and Memory: The Renaissance Studioli of Federico da Montefeltro
“He had harangued in the upper house himself; but as his delivery, for it could not be called elocution, was slow, hesitating, and confused, no one ventured to mention his speech.”
“If he has not the talent of elocution, which is the case of many as wise and knowing men as any in the House, he is liable to all these inconveniences, without the eclat which attends upon any tolerably successful exertion of eloquence.”
“If he has not the talent of elocution, which is the case of many as wise and knowing men as any in the House, he is liable to all these inconveniences, without the _éclat_ which attends upon any tolerably successful exertion of eloquence.”
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 01 (of 12)
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘elocution’.
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Test Prep or Just for fun
Building a list for standardized test prep or just for learning some new words! Please add any words that you feel are important for the SAT/GRE/GMAT etc...
throng, morass, parley, facile, kismet, strife, jetsam, carrion, annex, harbinger, vestige, surreptitious and 575 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
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EN - eloquence in public speaking
Key words from "The Training of a Public Speaker" by Grenville Kleiser (New York and London, 1920)
beget, imago, Vespasian, languid, studied, judgment, dwindle, artifice, contribute, observe, sonorous, gladiator and 264 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( et...
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
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Philosophic , etymology
every major discipline has uniquely developed esoteric nomenclature to facilitate interdisciplinary dissemination
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big book gre
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inquiryqueue's list
words delicious to pronounce
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Serendipity's Words
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MiaLuthien's list ♥
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generationnext's Words
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kringlan's Words
fecund, riposte, nebbish, nonpareil, deign, eschew, imbroglio, spelunking, fop, foofaraw, tundra, talon and 128 more...
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List Erine
cool mint antiseptic
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ADW1
obdurate, obstinate, behest, injunction, enjoin, circumspect, ensconce, discursive, lugubrious, doleful, somber, ken and 2476 more...
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Dain's Words
rabble, terminus, archaic, atavism, demiurge, waylay, syzygy, jocoserious, quark, entropy, cinnabar, shamble and 912 more...
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rhii's words to remember and incorporate
Just whatever words I might happen across in my wanderings that I find myself compelled to write down so that I remember to try to use them. Not necessarily unusual words, but worthwhile ones.
redact, treatise, vitrify, cogitate, propensity, silphium, saccharine, minutiae, sluicing, dalliance, remonstrated, carnelian and 131 more...
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To Learn
Words to learn via rote repetition.
atechnic, veridical, abjure, recrudescence, acquisitiveness, adipocere, alembic, adventitious, aliment, alimentiveness, amativeness, anterior and 111 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for elocution.
fbharjo locution....locution...locution Nov 11, 2011
super-logos Latin, loquere, to speak; e, from Latin, ex, meaning from or out, to speak out? Any Latin scholars? Aug 8, 2008
tonya Execution of eloquence. Aug 8, 2008