peroration

noun

per·​o·​ra·​tion ˌper-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce peroration (audio)
 also  ˌpər-
1
: the concluding part of a discourse and especially an oration
2
: a highly rhetorical speech
perorational
ˌper-ə-ˈrā-shnəl How to pronounce peroration (audio)
ˌpər-
-shə-nᵊl
adjective

Did you know?

As you may have already guessed, "peroration" is a relative of "oration." Both words ultimately derive from the Latin orare, meaning "to speak" or "to plead." The direct ancestor of "peroration" is the Latin verb perorare, meaning "to declaim at length or "to wind up an oration." "Perorare," in turn, comes from the combination of "per-" ("through") and "orare." The English language also has the verb "perorate," which means "to deliver a long or grandiloquent speech" or "to offer a concluding part of a speech."

Examples of peroration in a Sentence

We sat through a lengthy peroration on the evils of the government's policies. gave an eloquent peroration celebrating the nation's long tradition of religious tolerance and pluralism
Recent Examples on the Web In a climactic peroration, Chaplin finally talks — and talks — in direct address, straight into the camera, delivering an impassioned anti-war, pro-tolerance message. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2024 De Gaulle’s peroration got the scene only partly right. Robert Zaretsky, Foreign Affairs, 23 Aug. 2019 And yet virtually nobody credited Putin with savvy for his initial peroration on Russia's ancient history. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 In the second of the two movements, Noseda kept the rhythms and tempo largely straightforward, with little Romantic push-and-pull, creating an appealing, plain-spoken rhetoric that, nevertheless, left the music wanting peroration. Matthew Guerrieri, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2020 Bezos rallies the public with passionate peroration and convincing command of detail. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2019 The president’s wintertime inconstancy was a matter of little concern to attendees in Dallas, who enthusiastically cheered Mr. Trump’s perorations on subjects ranging from North Korean peace talks to his vote tally in the Electoral College. Alexander Burns, New York Times, 4 May 2018 Reagan said more in his average 35-minute remarks than Bill Clinton ever did in his average 75-minute perorations. Andrew Malcolm, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Feb. 2018 Pastor Goff, after joking that all the famous visitors had eaten up his preaching time, brought the theme into his peroration. Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 15 Aug. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peroration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English peroracyon, from Latin peroration-, peroratio, from perorare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of peroration was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near peroration

Cite this Entry

“Peroration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peroration. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

peroration

noun
per·​ora·​tion
ˈper-ər-ˌā-shən,
ˈpər-
: the last part of a speech
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