elocution

C2+ Topic:Communication

Also spelled yellocution

US /ˌɛləˈkjuʃən/ UK /ˌɛləˈkjuːʃən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the skill of clear and expressive speech

Lessons in elocution gave her a polished, confident delivery.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the skill of clear and... diction articulation enunciation delivery oratory declamation

Word family

Derived forms elocutionaryelocutionist

Related forms eloquent eloquence locution loquacious

Simplified etymology

Elocution, recorded in late Middle English, ultimately derives from Latin loqui, meaning “to speak.” It shares this Latin root with eloquent, loquacious, and ventriloquist.

Etymology

From Latin elocutionem, noun of action from eloqui ('to speak out'), from e- ('out') + loqui ('to speak').

elocutio Latin loqui Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Communication Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# elocution

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌɛləˈkjuʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌɛləˈkjuːʃən/

## Meanings
1. the skill of clear and expressive speech

## Examples
- Lessons in elocution gave her a polished, confident delivery.

## Synonyms
- diction
- articulation
- enunciation
- delivery
- oratory
- declamation

## Derived Forms
- elocutionary
- elocutionist

## Related Forms
- eloquent
- eloquence
- locution
- loquacious

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: elocutio
- Root: loqui

## Etymology
From Latin elocutionem, noun of action from eloqui ('to speak out'), from e- ('out') + loqui ('to speak').

## AI Etymology
Elocution comes from Latin elocutionem, noun of action from eloqui ('to speak out'), from e- ('out') + loqui ('to speak'). Morphologically, the form is compositional: e- marks part of the visible structure, while the remaining element supplies the lexical base. In present use, it is used as a noun meaning "the skill of clear and expressive speech", so the historical material remains connected with the current sense rather than standing as bare ancestry. The wider English family includes derivatives such as elocutionary and elocutionist and related forms such as eloquent, eloquence, locution, and loquacious, showing how the same historical material continues to organize neighboring vocabulary. The named historical forms include Latin elocutio and Latin loqui, keeping the history tied to concrete forms rather than a loose resemblance. Its semantic neighborhood includes diction, articulation, enunciation, and delivery, locating the modern specialization without adding a new origin story.

## Topics
- Communication
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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