1
as in speech
the art of speaking in public eloquently and effectively
a presidential hopeful with a gift for oratory and a highly charismatic personality
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2
as in rhetoric
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
the politician's oratory sounded good only to people who didn't bother to think
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oratory
One source of Trump’s instinctive, inimitable political talent is that, for him, oratory and advertisement are entirely coeval domains.
—
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
He was not limited to a single playing field either in sports (baseball, basketball, and football) or the arts (acting, oratory, and singing).
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024
Rather oddly, for a film celebrating oratory in the Arabic language and in a particular Sudanese vernacular, the end credits feature a song in French: a language foreign to Sudanese people.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024
Obama made his name with soaring oratory about a collective opportunity to fulfill America’s promise and a memoir that was deeply introspective about his role in that fight.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for oratory
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
He was not limited to a single playing field either in sports (baseball, basketball, and football) or the arts (acting, oratory, and singing).
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024
Rather oddly, for a film celebrating oratory in the Arabic language and in a particular Sudanese vernacular, the end credits feature a song in French: a language foreign to Sudanese people.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024
Obama made his name with soaring oratory about a collective opportunity to fulfill America’s promise and a memoir that was deeply introspective about his role in that fight.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for oratory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oratory
Noun
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For Henry, liberty in the context of his speech meant breaking free from the oppression of British control.—
Cassandra Good,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 Mar. 2025
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unsuccessfully campaigned against the deal with a speech to Congress that was blasted by many Democrats.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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An evaluation of Trump’s past rhetoric and actions and the FCPA’s benefits for American business suggests that foreign corruption enforcement is not going anywhere soon.—
Robert Anello,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Trump’s election confirmed, to some on the Left, that the country really was as bad as some of their harshest rhetoric suggested.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The recordings also capture Bell’s family background in elocution (his father, grandfather, and brother all taught the subject).—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2018
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The Bartlet staff’s righteous (and self-righteous) elocution might seem — to the cynical — sentimental, treacly, smarmy, or just eye-roll-inducingly dumb.—
Lizzie Logan,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Employers want candidates who can easily mitigate conflicts, manage stakeholders and liaise with leads and existing clients to sell and upsell solutions confidently (this is where public speaking comes in).—
Rachel Wells,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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Trustees also took action at the meeting to increase public speaking time at school board meetings from 2 minutes to 3 minutes.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oratory. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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