- The definition of articulate is someone capable of speaking easily and clearly, and is most often referred to someone who is well-spoken.
An example of an articulate person is President Barack Obama.
- To articulate is defined as the action of speaking clearly, often with superior pronunciation or when discussing a particular issue.
- An example of articulate is when a primary teacher must pronounce each syllable clearly in order for students to learn letter sounds and spelling.
- An example of articulate is a person who clearly lays out his argument on a given subject.
- having parts connected by joints; jointed: now usually articulated
- made up of distinct syllables or words that have meaning, as human speech
- able to speak
- expressing oneself easily and clearly
- well formulated; clearly presented: an articulate argument
Origin of articulateClassical Latin articulatus, past participle of articulare, to separate into joints, utter distinctly ; from articulus: see article
- to connect by forming a joint or joints
- to arrange in connected sequence; fit together; correlate: to articulate a middle-school science program with high-school courses
- to utter distinctly; pronounce carefully; enunciate
- to express clearly
- Music to play or sing (a note, passage, etc.) in a particular, usually the indicated, manner
- Phonet. to produce (a speech sound) by moving an articulator
- to speak distinctly; pronounce clearly
- to be jointed or connected
- Phonet. to produce a speech sound
- Composed of distinct, meaningful syllables or words: articulate speech.
- Expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language: an articulate speaker.
- Characterized by the use of clear, expressive language: an articulate essay.
- Having the power of speech.
- Biology Consisting of sections united by joints; jointed.
verbar·tic·u·lat·ed, ar·tic·u·lat·ing, ar·tic·u·lates
- To pronounce distinctly and carefully; enunciate.
- To utter (a speech sound) by making the necessary movements of the speech organs.
- To express in coherent verbal form: couldn't articulate my fears.
- To fit together into a coherent whole; unify: a plan to articulate nursing programs throughout the state.
- To convert (a student's credits at one school) to credits at another school by comparing the curricula.
- Biology To unite by forming a joint or joints.
- Architecture To give visible or concrete expression to (the composition of structural elements): a spare design in which windows and doors are barely articulated.
- To speak clearly and distinctly.
- To utter a speech sound.
- Biology To form a joint; be jointed: The thighbone articulates with the bones of the hip.
Origin of articulateLatin articul&amacron;tus, past participle of articul&amacron;re, to divide into joints, utter distinctly, from articulus, small joint; see article.
- ar·tic′u·late·ness, ar·tic′u·la·cy
(comparative more articulate, superlative most articulate)
(third-person singular simple present articulates, present participle articulating, simple past and past participle articulated)
- To make clear or effective.
- To speak clearly; to enunciate.
- I wish he’d articulate his words more clearly.
- To explain; to put into words; to make something specific.
- I like this painting, but I can’t articulate why.
- To bend or hinge something at intervals, or to allow or build something so that it can bend.
- an articulated bus
- (music) to attack a note, as by tonguing, slurring, bowing, etc.
- Articulate that passage heavily.
- (anatomy) to form a joint or connect by joints
- The lower jaw articulates with the skull at the temporomandibular joint.
From the adjective.