What does elocutionist mean?
An elocutionist is a person skilled in the art of elocution: formal public speaking with careful attention to pronunciation, articulation, voice modulation, and gesture. The term is most strongly associated with the 18th and 19th centuries, when elocution was taught as a serious discipline in schools and private academies throughout Britain and America. Elocutionists trained actors, clergymen, lawyers, and politicians to speak with clarity and persuasive power, and they frequently gave public demonstrations of their craft. Today the word carries a somewhat quaint, old-fashioned connotation, since modern equivalents such as speech coach, voice coach, or public-speaking trainer have largely replaced it in everyday language. Still, it remains useful for describing both historical figures and anyone devoted to polished, expressive oral delivery. Its root lies in the Latin eloqui, meaning to speak out, which also gives us eloquent and eloquence.
nounA person who is skilled in public speaking, especially one who teaches or performs the art of elocution — clear, expressive delivery of speech with attention to pronunciation, gesture, and voice.
- A person skilled in or teaching the art of public speaking and expressive delivery (elocution).
"The young actress studied under a celebrated elocutionist to soften her regional accent."
"Her grandfather was an elocutionist who coached politicians ahead of major speeches."
"In the Victorian era, every aspiring performer took classes with an elocutionist to master diction and gesture."
Regular plural; standard in all varieties of English.
"The conference drew elocutionists from across Europe to demonstrate their techniques."
Before microphones and media training, anyone hoping to command a public audience needed one thing above all: a good elocutionist.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of elocutionist
Elocutionist derives from 'elocution', which comes from the Latin eloqui ('to speak out'), formed from e- ('out') and loqui ('to speak'). The noun 'elocution' entered English in the 15th–16th century, initially meaning simply style of speech or expression, and by the 18th century had narrowed to mean the art of formal public delivery. 'Elocutionist', denoting a practitioner or teacher of this art, emerged during that period of growing interest in rhetorical training. It shares its ultimate Latin roots with eloquent, eloquence, and loquacious.
Related word forms
How elocutionist is actually used
The word has a distinctly old-fashioned, formal flavor today; 'elocution' as a discipline peaked in the 18th–19th centuries. In contemporary usage it often appears in historical contexts or when referring to speech training, though 'speech coach' or 'public speaking coach' are more common modern equivalents.
Easily confused with elocutionist
An executioner carries out capital punishment, while an elocutionist is an expert in the art of speaking clearly and expressively.