speech

noun

1
a
: the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words
b
: exchange of spoken words : conversation
2
a
: something that is spoken : utterance
b
: a usually public discourse : address
3
b
: an individual manner or style of speaking
4
: the power of expressing or communicating thoughts by speaking

Examples of speech in a Sentence

She has to make a speech at the convention. a graduation speech about embracing future challenges I was so flustered that I momentarily lost the power of speech. Slang is used mostly in informal speech. Many words are more common in speech than in writing.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In a letter sent to football players and their families, Kelly Lara, an assistant district superintendent, said two incidents occurred involving racist speech made toward, and about, a Black teammate. Krissy Waite, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 Old trees also matter for climate change, as Biden noted in his Seattle speech. April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024 Before her speech, Harris called Trump to congratulate him on his victory. Matt Brown, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2024 Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have embraced anti-trans rhetoric on the campaign trail, and during the Republican National Convention in July, at least a dozen speakers mentioned gender or sexuality negatively in their speeches, according to an NBC News analysis. Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for speech 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English speche, from Old English sprǣc, spǣc; akin to Old English sprecan to speak — more at speak

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of speech was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near speech

Cite this Entry

“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speech. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

speech

noun
1
: the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words
2
a
: something that is spoken
b
: a public talk
3
: a form of communication (as a language or dialect) used by a particular group
4
: the power of expressing or communicating thoughts by speaking

Medical Definition

speech

noun
: the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words

Legal Definition

speech

noun
: words or conduct used to communicate or express a thought : expression see also commercial speech, freedom of speech, free speech, obscene, symbolic speech

More from Merriam-Webster on speech

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