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

Pelosi, 84, was the first woman to serve as speaker of the House and a longtime leader of the House Democratic Caucus. —Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

The Crosley Record Player lets your giftee stream their vinyl records to Bluetooth headphones or a wireless speaker. —Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024

Bateman, a former machinist who later worked as a real estate agent and motivational speaker, lived with his wife and daughter in Colorado City, a town on the Utah border. —Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024

Despite having a smaller proportion of English speakers, Japan reported growth to the equivalent of $230 million, beating out France, Italy, Germany, and Ireland. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 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