Definitions for speech
spitʃspeech

Princeton's WordNet(3.75 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. address, speechnoun

   the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

   "he listened to an address on minor Roman poets"

2. speech, speech communication, spoken communication, spoken language, language, voice communication, oral communicationnoun

   (language) communication by word of mouth

   "his speech was garbled"; "he uttered harsh language"; "he recorded the spoken language of the streets"

3. speechnoun

   something spoken

   "he could hear them uttering merry speeches"

4. speechnoun

   the exchange of spoken words

   "they were perfectly comfortable together without speech"

5. manner of speaking, speech, deliverynoun

   your characteristic style or manner of expressing yourself orally

   "his manner of speaking was quite abrupt"; "her speech was barren of southernisms"; "I detected a slight accent in his speech"

6. lecture, speech, talking tonoun

   a lengthy rebuke

   "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to"

7. actor's line, speech, wordsnoun

   words making up the dialogue of a play

   "the actor forgot his speech"

8. language, speechnoun

   the mental faculty or power of vocal communication

   "language sets homo sapiens apart from all other animals"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. speechnoun

   The faculty of speech; the ability to speak or to use vocalizations to communicate.

2. speechnoun

   A session of speaking; a long oral message given publicly usually by one person.

   The candidate made some ambitious promises in his campaign speech.

3. Etymology: From speche, from spæc, spræc, from sprēkijō, from spereg-. Cognate with spraak, Sprache, sprog. More at speak.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Speechnoun

   Etymology: from speak.

   1. The power of articulate utterance; the power of expressing thoughts by vocal words.

   There is none comparable to the variety of instructive expressions by speech, wherewith a man alone is endowed, for the communication of his thoughts. William Holder, on Speech.

   Though our ideas are first acquired by various sensations and reflections, yet we convey them to each other by the means of certain sounds, or written marks, which we call words; and a great part of our knowledge is both obtained and communicated by these means, which are called speech. Isaac Watts.

   2. Language; words considered as expressing thoughts.

   In speech be eight parts. Accidence.

   The acts of God to human ears
   Cannot without process of speech be told. John Milton.

   3. Particular language as distinct from others.

   There is neither speech nor language, but their voices are heard among them. Ps. Common Prayer.

   4. Any thing spoken.

   A plague upon your epileptick visage!
   Smile you my speeches as I were a fool. William Shakespeare, K. Lear.

   5. Talk; mention.

   The duke did of me demand
   What was the speech among the Londoners,
   Concerning the French journey. William Shakespeare.

   Speech of a man’s self ought to be seldom. Francis Bacon, Essays.

   6. Oration; harangue.

   The constant design of these orators, in all their speeches, was to drive some one particular point. Jonathan Swift.

   7. Liberty to speak.

   I, with leave of speech implor’d, reply’d. John Milton.

Webster Dictionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Speechnoun

   the faculty of uttering articulate sounds or words; the faculty of expressing thoughts by words or articulate sounds; the power of speaking

2. Speechnoun

   he act of speaking; that which is spoken; words, as expressing ideas; language; conversation

3. Speechnoun

   a particular language, as distinct from others; a tongue; a dialect

4. Speechnoun

   talk; mention; common saying

5. Speechnoun

   formal discourse in public; oration; harangue

6. Speechnoun

   ny declaration of thoughts

7. Speech

   to make a speech; to harangue

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Speech

   Speech is the vocalized form of human communication. It is based upon the syntactic combination of lexicals and names that are drawn from very large vocabularies. Each spoken word is created out of the phonetic combination of a limited set of vowel and consonant speech sound units. These vocabularies, the syntax which structures them, and their set of speech sound units differ, creating the existence of many thousands of different types of mutually unintelligible human languages. Most human speakers are able to communicate in two or more of them. The vocal abilities that enable humans to produce speech also provide humans with the ability to sing. A gestural form of human communication exists for the deaf in the form of sign language. Speech in some cultures has become the basis of a written language, often one that differs in its vocabulary, syntax and phonetics from its associated spoken one, a situation called diglossia. Speech in addition to its use in communication, it is suggested by some psychologists such as Vygotsky is internally used by mental processes to enhance and organize cognition in the form of an interior monologue.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Speech

   spēch, n. that which is spoken: language: the power of speaking: manner of speech, oration: any declaration of thoughts: mention: colloquy: conference.—ns. Speech′-craft, the science of language: the gift of speech; Speech′-crī′er, one who hawked the broadsides containing the dying speeches of persons executed, once common; Speech′-day, the public day at the close of a school year.—adj. Speech′ful, loquacious.—ns. Speechificā′tion, the act of making harangues; Speech′ifīer.—v.i. Speech′ify, to make speeches, harangue (implying contempt).—adj. Speech′less, destitute or deprived of the power of speech.—adv. Speech′lessly.—ns. Speech′lessness; Speech′-māk′er, one accustomed to speak in public; Speech′-māk′ing, a formal speaking before an assembly; Speech′-read′ing, the art of following spoken words by observing the speaker's lips, as taught to deaf-mutes. [A.S. spǽc, sprǽc; Ger. sprache.]

U.S. National Library of Medicine(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Speech

   Communication through a system of conventional vocal symbols.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. speech

   The faculty or act of speaking.

   His speech and language developed at such a fast pace to his peers.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on January 12, 2020  

2. ---

   speech

   To express how we feel using words and language.

   They decided a wedding speech was not necessary as they chose for everyone to come to the wedding and enjoy themselves, have fun, feel the love and unity and dance the night away.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on April 9, 2020  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. speech

   Song lyrics by speech -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by speech on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Auditory Communication
   • Expressive Style
   • Language
   • Line
   • Speaking
   • Speech Act
   • Utterance

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'speech' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1308

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'speech' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2059

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'speech' in Nouns Frequency: #532

Anagrams for speech »

1. cheeps

How to pronounce speech?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say speech in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of speech in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of speech in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of speech in a Sentence

1. The AIC:

   In addition to interfering with the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression, and right to privacy ... the Draft Rules impose burdensome obligations on the intermediaries.

2. Paulo Celso Nepomuceno:

   The problem was not so much what he said, but what he didn't say, the speech was pretty much the same as before (the appointment of Barbosa), but the market is convinced that policy will change for the worse.

3. Tabitha Isner:

   Yes, I ran for chair. When defeated, I ran for vice chair. In my speech, I said we have to bring this party together by actually ‘working’ together. And I said I would be happy to serve under Chair Kelley, so yes, I have absolutely accepted the results of the leadership election.

4. Jacob Wells:

   We believe completely to the core of our being that the danger of the suppression of our speech is much more dangerous than the speech itself and this has been tested through history.

5. Reince Priebus:

   It's Thursday night, it's Donald Trump giving that speech, the balloons coming down and people saying I can see Donald Trump in White House.

Popularity rank by frequency of use