1
a
: the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words
b
: exchange of spoken words : conversation
4
: the power of expressing or communicating thoughts by speaking
Synonyms
Examples of speech in a Sentence
She has to make a speech at the convention.
a graduation speech about embracing future challenges
I was so flustered that I momentarily lost the power of speech.
Slang is used mostly in informal speech.
Many words are more common in speech than in writing.
Recent Examples on the Web
News Peg Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president on Monday afternoon, and made the comment about Denali in his speech after taking the oath of office.
—
Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
In his speech, the president invoked familiar themes from the campaign trail, including immigration and the economy, and repeated his attacks on the Justice Department and federal government.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2025
In his rally speech Sunday, Trump returned to the greatest hits of his campaign.
—Will Weissert, arkansasonline.com, 20 Jan. 2025
The new president then began his speech to America, which has been addressed by Jake on social media.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for speech 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
In his speech, the president invoked familiar themes from the campaign trail, including immigration and the economy, and repeated his attacks on the Justice Department and federal government.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2025
In his rally speech Sunday, Trump returned to the greatest hits of his campaign.
—Will Weissert, arkansasonline.com, 20 Jan. 2025
The new president then began his speech to America, which has been addressed by Jake on social media.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for speech
Dictionary Entries Near speech
Cite this Entry
“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speech. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
speech
noun1
: the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words
2
a
: something that is spoken
b
: a public talk
3
: a form of communication (as a language or dialect) used by a particular group
4
: the power of expressing or communicating thoughts by speaking
Medical Definition
speech
noun
: the communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words
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