noun
elocution
el-uh-KYOO-shun/ˌeləˈkjuːʃn/
The skill of speaking clearly and expressively.
The student practices elocution at the lectern.
Etymology
Literally “speaking out,” elocution came to describe rhetorical expression and a speaker’s manner of delivery. That focus on how speech is delivered connects it to clear, controlled public speaking and pronunciation.
In context
during the next speaker’s exhibition of halting elocution, amused himself watching the faces before him
More examples
- He practiced elocution before the recital.
- The actor’s elocution made every sentence easy to follow.
- The class worked on breathing and elocution.
Forms
elocution
elocutionist noun — a skilled speaker or teacher of delivery