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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oratory
Rather oddly, for a film celebrating oratory in the Arabic language and in a particular Sudanese vernacular, the end credits feature a song in French: a language foreign to Sudanese people.
—
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024
Obama made his name with soaring oratory about a collective opportunity to fulfill America’s promise and a memoir that was deeply introspective about his role in that fight.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024
Hassan Nasrallah, the iconic leader of Hezbollah who captivated many in the Arab world with his charismatic oratory, was killed on Friday in an Israeli attack on Beirut.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2024
She is widely regarded as a pragmatist who lacks the charisma, oratory skills and pugnacious nature of the outgoing populist president.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for oratory
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024
Obama made his name with soaring oratory about a collective opportunity to fulfill America’s promise and a memoir that was deeply introspective about his role in that fight.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024
Hassan Nasrallah, the iconic leader of Hezbollah who captivated many in the Arab world with his charismatic oratory, was killed on Friday in an Israeli attack on Beirut.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2024
She is widely regarded as a pragmatist who lacks the charisma, oratory skills and pugnacious nature of the outgoing populist president.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for oratory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oratory
Noun
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The system processes natural speech and fields menu customizations.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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In a floor speech later that day, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the ranking member on the Foreign Relations committee, said Ukraine still has bipartisan support.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Medvedev's comments, posted to Telegram on Saturday, suggested that Vance's rhetoric took European leaders by surprise and aligned with Russian criticisms of Western democracies.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
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And Williams and Wilmore hope that rhetoric will change.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The recordings also capture Bell’s family background in elocution (his father, grandfather, and brother all taught the subject).—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2018
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The Bartlet staff’s righteous (and self-righteous) elocution might seem — to the cynical — sentimental, treacly, smarmy, or just eye-roll-inducingly dumb.—
Lizzie Logan,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2024
Noun
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The initiative emphasizes college readiness, etiquette, public speaking, financial literacy and mental health awareness, among other essential life skills.—
City News Service,
Orange County Register,
19 Feb. 2025
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We are held back by a variety of factors: Fear of public speaking, lack of confidence, or uncertainty about how to craft a meaningful message.—
Matt Abrahams,
TIME,
17 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oratory. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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