oratory

noun

Definition of oratorynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of oratory Inches from Okananwa’s face, Frese delivered a vehement oratory to the junior. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026 Public oratory was the dominant political medium of the day, and Sumner mastered it. — Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026 Dogra was on the speech and debate team, competing in original oratory and original advocacy and serving as speech captain during her junior and senior years. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026 The Catholic Church’s work with young people in Italy largely relies on oratories, parish spaces where children and teenagers gather after school for sports and recreational activities. — ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oratory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oratory
  1. speech
  2. rhetoric
  3. public speaking
Noun
  • In a June 30 speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, the Republican lawmaker said he was hospitalized several months ago and diagnosed with depression.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Steinbaugh argued the email was protected speech under the First Amendment and does not represent a legitimate threat.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of speech
Noun
  • For too long Western leaders have been deterred by Putin’s escalation rhetoric.
    — David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Concha argued that her positions and rhetoric reflect a broader shift in the Democratic Party toward socialism and extremism.
    — Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 30 June 2026
Definition of rhetoric
Noun
  • The most important of all communication skills for influencing others is public speaking.
    — William Arruda, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Students earned a Top 5 finish in the Novice Division of a public speaking contest, participated in livestock projects, online judging contests and horse judging.
    — Stephanie Ogilvie, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Definition of public speaking

Browse Nearby Words

orators
oratory
orb
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oratory. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on oratory

Nglish: Translation of oratory for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oratory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All