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Definition of speech
- declamation
Examples of speech in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speech.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English speche , from Old English sprǣc, spǣc ; akin to Old English sprecan to speak — more at speak
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing speech
- acceptance speech
- figure of speech
- freedom of speech
- free speech
- hate speech
- part of speech
- polite speech
speech community
- speech form
- speech impediment
- speech therapy
- stump speech
- visible speech
Dictionary Entries Near speech
Cite this entry.
“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speech. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
Kids definition of speech, medical definition, medical definition of speech, legal definition, legal definition of speech, more from merriam-webster on speech.
Nglish: Translation of speech for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of speech for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about speech
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Losing her speech made her feel isolated from humanity.
Synonyms: communication , conversation , parley , parlance
He expresses himself better in speech than in writing.
We waited for some speech that would indicate her true feelings.
Synonyms: talk , mention , comment , asseveration , assertion , observation
a fiery speech.
Synonyms: discourse , talk
- any single utterance of an actor in the course of a play, motion picture, etc.
Synonyms: patois , tongue
Your slovenly speech is holding back your career.
- a field of study devoted to the theory and practice of oral communication.
- Archaic. rumor .
to have speech with somebody
speech therapy
- that which is spoken; utterance
- a talk or address delivered to an audience
- a person's characteristic manner of speaking
- a national or regional language or dialect
- linguistics another word for parole
Other Words From
- self-speech noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of speech 1
Synonym Study
Example sentences.
Kids are interacting with Alexas that can record their voice data and influence their speech and social development.
The attorney general delivered a controversial speech Wednesday.
For example, my company, Teknicks, is working with an online K-12 speech and occupational therapy provider.
Instead, it would give tech companies a powerful incentive to limit Brazilians’ freedom of speech at a time of political unrest.
However, the president did give a speech in Suresnes, France, the next day during a ceremony hosted by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Those are troubling numbers, for unfettered speech is not incidental to a flourishing society.
There is no such thing as speech so hateful or offensive it somehow “justifies” or “legitimizes” the use of violence.
We need to recover and grow the idea that the proper answer to bad speech is more and better speech.
Tend to your own garden, to quote the great sage of free speech, Voltaire, and invite people to follow your example.
The simple, awful truth is that free speech has never been particularly popular in America.
Alessandro turned a grateful look on Ramona as he translated this speech, so in unison with Indian modes of thought and feeling.
And so this is why the clever performer cannot reproduce the effect of a speech of Demosthenes or Daniel Webster.
He said no more in words, but his little blue eyes had an eloquence that left nothing to mere speech.
After pondering over Mr. Blackbird's speech for a few moments he raised his head.
Albinia, I have refrained from speech as long as possible; but this is really too much!
Related Words
More about speech, what is speech .
Speech is the ability to express thoughts and emotions through vocal sounds and gestures. The act of doing this is also known as speech .
Speech is something only humans are capable of doing and this ability has contributed greatly to humanity’s ability to develop civilization. Speech allows humans to communicate much more complex information than animals are able to.
Almost all animals make sounds or noises with the intent to communicate with each other, such as mating calls and yelps of danger. However, animals aren’t actually talking to each other. That is, they aren’t forming sentences or sharing complicated information. Instead, they are making simple noises that trigger another animal’s natural instincts.
While speech does involve making noises, there is a lot more going on than simple grunts and growls. First, humans’ vocal machinery, such as our lungs, throat, vocal chords, and tongue, allows for a wide range of intricate sounds. Second, the human brain is incredibly complex, allowing humans to process vocal sounds and understand combinations of them as words and oral communication. The human brain is essential for speech . While chimpanzees and other apes have vocal organs similar to humans’, their brains are much less advanced and they are unable to learn speech .
Why is speech important?
The first records of the word speech come from before the year 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English word sprecan , meaning “to speak.” Scientists debate on the exact date that humanity first learned to speak, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to 2 million years ago.
Related to the concept of speech is the idea of language . A language is the collection of symbols, sounds, gestures, and anything else that a group of people use to communicate with each other, such as English, Swahili, and American Sign Language . Speech is actually using those things to orally communicate with someone else.
Did you know … ?
But what about birds that “talk”? Parrots in particular are famous for their ability to say human words and sentences. Birds are incapable of speech . What they are actually doing is learning common sounds that humans make and mimicking them. They don’t actually understand what anything they are repeating actually means.
What are real-life examples of speech ?
Speech is essential to human communication.
Dutch is just enough like German that I can read text on signs and screens, but not enough that I can understand speech. — Clark Smith Cox III (@clarkcox) September 8, 2009
I can make squirrels so excited, I could almost swear they understand human speech! — Neil Oliver (@thecoastguy) July 20, 2020
What other words are related to speech ?
- communication
- information
Quiz yourself!
True or False?
Humans are the only animals capable of speech .
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