enunciate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɪˈnʌnsiˌeɪt/ UK /ɪˈnʌnsieɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to pronounce or articulate words clearly, or to state a proposition formally

The professor took care to enunciate each syllable for the back row.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to pronounce or articulate... articulate pronounce utter declare proclaim state express

Opposites

mumble slur mutter

Word family

Derived forms enunciationenunciatorenunciative

Related forms announce pronounce denouncenuncio

Simplified etymology

Enunciate entered English in the mid-16th century with the sense “announce clearly.” It ultimately combines Latin nuntius, “messenger,” with e-, a form of ex- meaning “out.”

Etymology

From Latin enuntiatus, past participle of enuntiare ('to announce, declare'), from e- (ex-, 'out') + nuntiare ('to announce'), from nuntius ('messenger').

enuntiare Latin nuntius Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# enunciate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪˈnʌnsiˌeɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪˈnʌnsieɪt/

## Meanings
1. to pronounce or articulate words clearly, or to state a proposition formally

## Examples
- The professor took care to enunciate each syllable for the back row.

## Synonyms
- articulate
- pronounce
- utter
- declare
- proclaim
- state
- express

## Antonyms
- mumble
- slur
- mutter

## Derived Forms
- enunciation
- enunciator
- enunciative

## Related Forms
- announce
- pronounce
- denounce
- nuncio

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: enuntiare
- Root: nuntius

## Etymology
From Latin enuntiatus, past participle of enuntiare ('to announce, declare'), from e- (ex-, 'out') + nuntiare ('to announce'), from nuntius ('messenger').

## AI Etymology
Enunciate comes from Latin enuntiatus, past participle of enuntiare ('to announce, declare'), from e- (ex-, 'out') + nuntiare ('to announce'), from nuntius ('messenger'). Morphologically, the form is compositional, with the named elements combining to produce the modern spelling and sense. In present use, it is used as a verb meaning "to pronounce or articulate words clearly, or to state a proposition formally", so the historical material remains connected with the current sense rather than standing as bare ancestry. The wider English family includes derivatives such as enunciation, enunciator, and enunciative and related forms such as announce, pronounce, denounce, and nuncio, showing how the same historical material continues to organize neighboring vocabulary. The named historical forms include Latin enuntiare and Latin nuntius, keeping the history tied to concrete forms rather than a loose resemblance.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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