SKIP TO CONTENT

eloquent

/ˈɛləkwənt/
/ˈɛləkwɪnt/
IPA guide

When you're eloquent, you have a way with words. An eloquent speaker expresses herself clearly and powerfully. Even though eloquent usually describes oral speech, it can also be used to describe powerful writing.

Being eloquent is about using words well. All the great writers from English class — such as Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, and Virginia Woolf — were eloquent. A great orator or speaker like Martin Luther King, Jr. was eloquent. When something is beautifully, gorgeously, perfectly said (or written), it's eloquent. Being eloquent requires your words to be smooth, clear, powerful, and interesting. To write or speak in an eloquent way takes a lot of work.

Definitions of eloquent
  1. adjective
    expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
    articulate
    expressing yourself easily or characterized by clear expressive language
Pronunciation
US
/ˈɛləkwənt/
UK
/ˈɛləkwɪnt/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘eloquent'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family