Oratory
n.capable, energeticformal
What it means
Skillful, persuasive, and expressive public speaking.
Reach for it when naming the art or performance of persuasive public speaking
Her clear oratory held the audience without needless drama.
Choose between these
6- everyday
public speaking
the broad practical activity is meant
not when Public speaking can be plain and nonpersuasive.
- warm
graceful expressive command deserves praise
not when Eloquence is a quality, not the whole practice.
- professional
rhetoric
techniques of persuasive language are under study
not when Rhetoric also covers writing and can imply empty flourish.
- professional
speechcraft
learned construction and delivery skills lead
not when The compound is less established.
- formal
address
a particular formal speech is meant
not when An address is one product of oratory.
- literary
declamation
formal forceful delivery is intended
not when Declamation can sound theatrical.
Said against
3- inarticulacy
- silence
- verbal confusion
It naturally appears in
3- gift for oratory
Her gift for oratory never displaced careful preparation.
- political oratory
Political oratory filled the square before the vote.
- power of oratory
The exhibit examines both the power of oratory and its risks.
Where this comes from
Oratory describes skill and style; persuasive force should not be mistaken for factual soundness.
- wiktionary, English noun, art of formal public speaking sense opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-27
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.