speech as a noun

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Definition of speech

declamation

Examples of speech in a Sentence

Word history.

Middle English speche , from Old English sprǣc, spǣc ; akin to Old English sprecan to speak — more at speak

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing speech

acceptance speech
figure of speech
freedom of speech
free speech
hate speech
part of speech
polite speech

speech community

speech form
speech impediment
speech therapy
stump speech
visible speech

Dictionary Entries Near speech

Cite this entry.

“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speech. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of speech, medical definition, medical definition of speech, legal definition, legal definition of speech, more from merriam-webster on speech.

Nglish: Translation of speech for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of speech for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about speech

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Definition of 'speech'

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speech in British English

Speech in american english, examples of 'speech' in a sentence speech, cobuild collocations speech, trends of speech.

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Browse alphabetically speech

speech bubble
speech clinic
All ENGLISH words that begin with 'S'

Related terms of speech

cued speech
free speech
hate speech
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閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú
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Alternative forms

speach ( obsolete )

From Middle English speche , from Old English spǣċ , sprǣċ ( “ speech, discourse, language ” ) , from Proto-West Germanic *sprāku ( “ speech, language ” ) , from Proto-Indo-European *spereg- , *spreg- ( “ to make a sound ” ) . Cognate with Dutch spraak ( “ speech ” ) , German Sprache ( “ language, speech ” ) . More at speak .

Pronunciation

IPA ( key ) : /ˈspiːt͡ʃ/
Rhymes: -iːtʃ

speech ( countable and uncountable , plural speeches )

1918 , W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell , chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp , Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company , →OCLC : All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill. It was ugly, gross. Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech . In the present connexion [ … ] such talk had been distressingly out of place.
1960 , P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse , “XV AND XVIII”, in Jeeves in the Offing , London: Herbert Jenkins , →OCLC : I was at liberty to attend to Wilbert, who I could see desired speech with me. [ … ] As far as Bobbie and I were concerned, silence reigned, this novel twist in the scenario having wiped speech from our lips, as the expression is, but Phyllis continued vocal. [ … ] For perhaps a quarter of a minute after he had passed from the scene the aged relative stood struggling for utterance. At the end of this period she found speech . “Of all the damn silly fatheaded things!”
2014 April 21, “ Subtle effects ”, in The Economist , volume 411 , number 8884 : Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese, a silvery metal, began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated.
1720 , Jonathan Swift , A Letter to a Young Clergyman : The constant design of both these orators, in all their speeches , was to drive some one particular point.
1960 , P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse , “I AND XII”, in Jeeves in the Offing , London: Herbert Jenkins , →OCLC : He's going to present the prizes at Market Snodsbury Grammar School. We've been caught short as usual, and somebody has got to make a speech on ideals and the great world outside to those blasted boys, so he fits in nicely. I believe he's a very fine speaker. His only trouble is that he's stymied unless he has his speech with him and can read it. Calls it referring to his notes. [ … ] “So that's why he's been going about looking like a dead fish. I suppose Roberta broke the engagement?” “In a speech lasting five minutes without a pause for breath.”
1611 , The Holy Bible, [ … ] ( King James Version ), London: [ … ] Robert Barker , [ … ] , →OCLC , Ezekiel 3:6 : For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech , and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel.
1542 , Andrew Boorde , The Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge : The speche of Englande is a base speche to other noble speches , as Italion, Castylion, and Frenche; howbeit the speche of Englande of late dayes is amended.
( uncountable ) Language used orally , rather than in writing. This word is mostly used in speech .
( grammar ) An utterance that is quoted ; see direct speech , reported speech
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare , [ John Fletcher ], “ The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [ … ] ( First Folio ), London: [ … ] Isaac Iaggard , and Ed [ ward ] Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , [ Act I, scene iii ] : The duke [ … ] did of me demand / What was the speech among the Londoners / Concerning the French journey.
after-dinner speech
pressured speech

Derived terms

acceptance speech
articulatory speech recognition
audio-visual speech recognition
avoidance speech
caretaker speech
compelled speech
counterspeech
cyberspeech
deep learning speech synthesis
figure of speech
free as in speech
freedom of speech
free indirect speech
free speech
free speech zone
hate speech
hate-speech
helium speech
impulsive speech
indirect speech
keynote speech
King's speech
liberty of speech
maiden speech
oblique speech
opening speech
part of speech
plain speech
pressure of speech
protospeech
Queen's speech
running speech
second-hand speech
speech balloon
speech bubble
speech community
speechcraft
speech-crier
speech disfluency
speech disorder
speech fright
speechfright
speech from the throne
speechification
speech impediment
speechmaker
speechmaking
speech mark
speech path
speech pathologist
speechreading
speech recognition
speech therapist
speech therapy
speech time
speechworthy
speechwright
speechwriter
speechwriting
stump speech
symbolic speech
text-to-speech
throne speech
time-assignment speech interpolation
twin speech
Visible Speech

Related terms

Translations.

speech ( third-person singular simple present speeches , present participle speeching , simple past and past participle speeched )

1711 [ December? ] (date written), Jonathan Swift , “An Excellent New Song. Being the Intended Speech of a Famous Orator against Peace [ i.e. , Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham ] .”, in Thomas Sheridan , John Nichols , editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, [ … ] , new edition, volume VII, London: [ … ] J [ oseph ] Johnson , [ … ] , published 1801 , →OCLC , page 73 : I'll speech against peace while Dismal's my name, / And be a true whig, while I'm Not-in-game.
1731 , The Statesman: A New Court Ballad , page 7 : So to Speeching he did go, / And like a Man of Senſe, / He certainly ſaid Ay or No,
1965 June, “Wales, Land of Bards”, in National Geographic , volume 127 , number 6: "He wasn't one to make himself big," said Mr. Jones. "But he had something that drew the people when he was speeching ... When he came down we all used to shout 'Lloyd George am byth!' You know, 'Lloyd George forever!' That was just how we felt."

Borrowed from English speech .

IPA ( key ) : /spitʃ/

speech m ( plural speechen or speeches , diminutive speechje n )

speech , oration ( oral monologic address of some length ) redevoering ( “ toespraak ” )
donderspeech
speechschrijver

speech m ( plural speechs )

an informal speech Synonym: allocution

Meaning of speech – Learner’s Dictionary

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speech noun ( SAY WORDS )

The article discusses different types of speech defect .
Hearing the speech of others is a good way to learn the language .
She is studying children's speech development .
Lip reading enables her to understand the speech of another without hearing the words.
The phonetic alphabet represents speech sounds symbolically .

speech noun ( PUBLIC TALK )

(Definition of speech from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of speech

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Word of the Day

box someone in

to move so close to someone or something that the person or thing cannot move away

It’s written in the stars: talking about things that might happen in the future

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speech (SAY WORDS)
speech (PUBLIC TALK)
free speech/freedom of speech
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What Is a Noun? Explanation, Usage, and Examples

Pen and pencil icon with noun definition and list of examples

DESCRIPTION Pen and pencil icon with noun definition and examples
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What do a pelican, Canada, friendship, and your third-grade teacher have in common? They’re all nouns. And even though they may have different meanings (unless your third-grade teacher looks like a pelican), they all function in the same way, depending where they are in a sentence.

What Is a Noun?

Nouns are one of the eight types of speech in the English language. They describe:

includes people’s names ( Brian, Mr. Davidson, Liliana )
includes general locations ( school, supermarket, home )
everyday objects ( stapler, car, dishwasher )
animals ( pelican, cat, iguana )
includes emotions ( hatred, confusion, hope )

If you can see or touch it (like cat or banana ) it’s a concrete noun . If it can’t be observed with the five senses (like love or sadness ), it’s an abstract noun .

When a noun includes two words (such as birthday cake or hot dog ), it’s a compound noun .

10 Examples of Nouns in Sentences

Seeing examples of nouns in action helps you better understand how to use the different types of nouns. Notice that if you substitute one noun with another noun, the sentences still make sense.

I need to feed my new goldfish . (concrete noun naming a thing)
My aunt is staying with us for a while. (concrete noun naming a person)
I am looking forward to visiting Disneyland . (concrete noun describing a place)
We are eating pizza tonight. (concrete noun naming a thing)
He needs a new computer . (concrete noun naming a thing)
My bedroom is chilly this morning. (concrete noun naming a place)
Seeing my baby sister fills me with love . (abstract noun naming an idea)
This price is too high. (abstract noun naming an idea)
The server asked if I’d like to order. (concrete noun naming a person)
Tim really values honesty in a relationship. (abstract noun naming an idea)

What Do Nouns Do?

Although there are many types of nouns , they all do the same things in a sentence. They name things, perform actions, receive actions, and even redefine other nouns.

Nouns Name Things

All names of all things, such as people, cities, buildings, monuments, rivers, natural disasters, books, magazines, and songs, are nouns.

When they’re naming something general, they’re uncapitalized common nouns . For example:

But when they’re naming something specific, they’re capitalized proper nouns .

President Eisenhower

Nouns Perform Actions

In a sentence, one noun performs the action (or verb ). This noun is the subject of the sentence . For example:

Harvey bought a shovel. ( Harvey is the noun, bought is the verb)
The dog chases squirrels. ( dog is the noun, chases is the verb)
Norway celebrates Constitution Day. ( Norway is the noun, celebrates is the verb)
That restaurant sells hamburgers. ( restaurant is the noun, sells is the verb)
President Eisenhower won the election. ( President Eisenhower is the noun, won is the verb)

Nouns Receive Actions

When a noun comes after the verb, the action is happening to the noun. These nouns are the second nouns in the sentences, and they’re known as sentence objects . For example:

Harvey bought a shovel . ( shovel is the noun, bought is the verb)
The dog chases squirrels . ( squirrels is the noun, chases is the verb)
Norway celebrates Constitution Day . ( Constitution Day is the noun, celebrates is the verb)
That restaurant sells hamburgers . ( hamburgers is the noun, sells is the verb)
President Eisenhower won the election. ( election is the noun, won is the verb)

Nouns Redefine Other Nouns

When nouns follow helping verbs , typically forms of is , they’re known as complements . These nouns are also known as predicate nominatives .

Subject complements rename or redefine the sentence subject.

Harvey was a gardener . (The noun gardener defines the noun Harvey )
The dog is a mutt . (The noun mutt defines the noun the dog )

Object complements rename or redefine a sentence object.

Norway is a European country . (The noun European country defines Norway )
That restaurant is a McDonald’s . (The noun McDonald’s defines that restaurant. )

Singular and Plural Nouns

Nouns can be singular (refers to one) or plural (refers to more than one).

Most English nouns can be made plural simply by adding an -s to the end of the word, but there are a few irregular plural nouns that are exceptions to that rule.

Nouns with a singular form that ends in -s , -z , -x , -ch , or -sh need to add -es to become plural (boss/bosses, box/boxes, watch/watches, bush/bushes).
Certain nouns that end in -o also need -es to become plural (potato/potatoes, hero/heroes, volcano/volcanoes).
For nouns that end in -f or -fe , change the “F” to a “V” and add -es (knife/knives, hoof/hooves, wolf/wolves).
If a singular noun ends in a single or double consonant followed by “Y,” change the “Y” to “I,” and add -es (lady/ladies, bully/bullies, spy/spies).

Using Nouns With Other Parts of Speech

When nouns aren’t naming things and performing verbs, they’re working with other parts of speech. Verbs, adjectives, pronouns, and articles work with nouns to make sentences as clear as possible.

Modifying Nouns With Adjectives

When you need to describe a noun in more detail, use an adjective . Adjectives often come before the noun they’re describing, and depending which one you use, an adjective can change a lot about the noun.

In these examples, the adjective is in bold, and the noun it’s modifying is underlined.

The white truck is in the driveway.
The broken truck is in the driveway.
A short customer takes out her money.
An angry customer takes out her money.
An excited octopus swims by.
A dangerous octopus swims by.

Replacing Nouns With Pronouns

You can replace a noun in a sentence with a pronoun . Replace subjects with subjective pronouns (such as I, you, he, she, it , or they ).

It is in the driveway.
A customer takes out her money.
She takes out her money.
Some octopuses swim by.
They swim by.

Using Articles With Nouns

Use an article before a noun to point out which one you're talking about. Indefinite articles ( a or an ) come before a general, nonspecific noun.

A truck is in the driveway.
An octopus swims by.

But when the definite article the comes before a noun, you’re talking about a specific noun.

The truck is in the driveway.
The customer takes out her money.
The octopus swims by.

Practice Your Noun Knowledge

Knowing what a noun is and knowing how to use one can be two different skills. See how much you’ve learned with some noun worksheets and noun quizzes .

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Definition of speech noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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2. PRONOUN

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

She... we... they... it

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun, which is called its antecedent. In the sentence above, the antecedent for the pronoun she is the girl. Pronouns are further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to specific persons or things; possessive pronouns indicate ownership; reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns introduce a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or refer to nouns.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Pronouns" for further information.

3. VERB

A verb expresses action or being.

jump... is... write... become

The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb and sometimes one or more helping verbs. (" She can sing." Sing is the main verb; can is the helping verb.) A verb must agree with its subject in number (both are singular or both are plural). Verbs also take different forms to express tense.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared . Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Verbs" for more information.

4. ADJECTIVE

An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.

pretty... old... blue... smart

An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually answers the question of which one, what kind, or how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are usually classified as adjectives.)

See the TIP Sheet on "Adjectives" for more information.

5. ADVERB

An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

gently... extremely... carefully... well

An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun. It usually answers the questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs often end in -ly.

See the TIP Sheet on "Adverbs" for more information.

6. PREPOSITION

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence.

by... with.... about... until

(by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow)

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. Therefore a preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always functions as an adjective or as an adverb. The following list includes the most common prepositions:

See the TIP Sheet on "Prepositions" for more information.

7. CONJUNCTION

A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.

and... but... or... while... because

A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the relationship between the elements joined. Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet. Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal: because, although, while, since, etc. There are other types of conjunctions as well.