speaker

noun

speak·​er ˈspē-kər 

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 

noun

Synonyms

• chair
• chairman
• chairperson
• moderator
• president
• presider
• prolocutor

Examples of speaker in a Sentence

I disagree with the last speaker.

He is an excellent public speaker.

Recent Examples on the Web

In less than a month, thousands of delegates, speakers and members of the media will descend on Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, held July 15-18. —Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 20 June 2024

The speaker, who once worked as a flight attendant, offered a more cryptic airplane analogy about the budget Thursday. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 20 June 2024

Follow speakers and panelists on social media, using event hashtags to continue discussions online. —Ebony Flake, Essence, 20 June 2024

The first speaker was Debbie Garten, mother of Detective Bobby Garten, a Hartford police officer who was killed Sept. 6, 2023, when his cruiser was hit by a fleeing suspect. —Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing speaker

• guest speaker
• keynote speaker
• native speaker
• public speaker

Kids Definition

speaker

noun

speak·​er ˈspē-kər 

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