speaker

noun

speak·​er ˈspē-kər How to pronounce speaker (audio)
Synonyms of speakernext
1
a
: one that speaks
especially : one who uses a language
native speakers of French
b
: one who makes a public speech
c
: one who acts as a spokesperson
2
: the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly
Speaker of the House of Representatives
3
: loudspeaker
speakership
ˈspē-kər-ˌship How to pronounce speaker (audio)
noun

Synonyms of speaker

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of speaker in a Sentence

I disagree with the last speaker. He is an excellent public speaker.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From big, booming party speakers to tiny wireless earbuds, the company specializes in sound small enough for a single pair of ears or an entire house full of party patrons. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026 Other features include 50-W wireless smartphone charging, 127-color ambient lighting and an eight-speaker sound system. — New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026 In tests by cybersecurity firm McAfee, a three-second clip was enough to generate a clone with an 85% match to the original speaker. — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026 Simon Sinek, author, inspirational speaker and founder of The Optimism Company in New York, shared his breakdown of core compatibilities for successful couples. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for speaker

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of speaker was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing speaker

Rhymes for speaker

See All Rhymes for speaker

Browse Nearby Words

speakeasy
speaker
speakeress
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speaker. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

speaker

noun
speak·​er ˈspē-kər How to pronounce speaker (audio)
1
: a person who speaks
2
: a person who conducts a meeting (as of a legislature)
3
: loudspeaker

Legal Definition

speaker

noun
speak·​er
often capitalized
: the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly
Speaker of the House

More from Merriam-Webster on speaker

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about speaker

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All