noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ɛləˈkjuːʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:EH2 L AH0 K Y UW1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The art of speaking, especially public speaking, with expert control of gesture and voice, diction (articulation and word choice), and usage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
perfect elocution
elocution training
study elocution
She took elocution lessons to improve her public speaking.
His elocution was precise and clear.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: manner of speaking, speech, delivery
History
Etymology
From Middle English elocucioun, ellocucioun, from Late Latin ēlocutiōnem. Doublet of elocutio.
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
演講術 /演讲术
(yǎnjiǎngshù)
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Chinese Mandarin:
講演術 /讲演术
(jiǎngyǎnshù)
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Czech:
řečnické umění
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Finnish:
elokuutio
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Finnish:
suullinen esitystaito
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
French:
élocution
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
German:
Sprechtechnik
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
German:
Redekunst
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
German:
Rhetorik
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Italian:
elocuzione
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Kazakh:
сөзшеңдік
(sözşeñdık)
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Macedonian:
дикција
(dikcija)
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Persian:
فنّ بیان
(fann-e bayân)
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Romanian:
elocuțiune
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Russian:
ораторское искусство
(oratorskoje iskusstvo)
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Swedish:
vältalighet
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
Swedish:
föredrag
— The art of public speaking with expert control of gesture and voice, etc.
