Phrase guide

public speaking

noun · 3 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.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of speaking to a group of people in a structured manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Oratory (art of public speaking).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

delivering an address to a public audience

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • people came to see the candidates and hear the speechmaking

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: speechmaking, speaking, oral presentation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: address, speech

Narrower terms: recitation, recital, reading, debate, disputation, public debate

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: пу́блично гово́рене (públično govórene) — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 演講 /演讲 (yǎnjiǎng) — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 講演 /讲演 (jiǎngyǎn) — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Finnish: puheen pitäminen — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Finnish: puhuminen — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Georgian: სიტყვით გამოსვლა (siṭq̇vit gamosvla) — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Georgian: მოხსენებით გამოსვლა (moxsenebit gamosvla) — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Georgian: საჯარო გამოსვლა (saǯaro gamosvla) — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Indonesian: wicara publik — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Irish: óráidíocht — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Irish: óráidíocht phoiblí — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Malay: pidato umum — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Malayalam: പ്രസംഗം (prasaṅgaṁ) — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner
  • Spanish: declamación — speaking to a group of people in a structured manner