Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The art of public speaking in which gesture, vocal production, and delivery are emphasized.
  • noun A style or manner of speaking, especially in public.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun 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.
  • noun Eloquence in style or delivery; effective utterance or expression.
  • noun Speech; the power or act of speaking.
  • noun 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.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun rare Utterance by speech.
  • noun Oratorical or expressive delivery, including the graces of intonation, gesture, etc.; style or manner of speaking or reading in public.
  • noun obsolete Suitable and impressive writing or style; eloquent diction.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[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.]

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Examples

  • 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 ...

    8 posts from January 2010 2010

  • 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 ...

    Students 2010

  • 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 ...

    Pop Culture 2010

  • 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 ...

    Leadership 2010

  • 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 ...

    differentiation 2010

  • 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 ...

    Integrity 2010

  • Reader: Being able to read aloud, fluently and with expression and good elocution, is a very valuable thing.

    Archive 2009-03-01 2009

  • Reader: Being able to read aloud, fluently and with expression and good elocution, is a very valuable thing.

    Learning to Be a Home Keeper 2009

  • 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 ...

    Education 2010

  • 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 ...

    Adaptation 2010

Comments

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  • Execution of eloquence.

    August 9, 2008

  • Latin, loquere, to speak; e, from Latin, ex, meaning from or out, to speak out? Any Latin scholars?

    August 9, 2008

  • locution....locution...locution

    November 12, 2011