n. 1. The art of public speaking in which gesture, vocal production, and delivery are emphasized. 2. A style or manner of speaking, especially in public. [Middle English elocucioun, from Latin ēlocūtiō, ēlocūtiōn-, from ēlocūtus, past participle of ēloquī, to speak out : ē-, ex-, ex- + loquī, to speak; see tolkw- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] el′o·cution·ar′y (-shə-nĕr′ē) adj. el′o·cution·ist n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.