oratory

or·a·to·ry ¹  (ôr-tôr, -tr, r-)

n.

1. The art of public speaking.

2. Eloquence or skill in making speeches to the public.

3. Public speaking marked by the use of overblown rhetoric.

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[Latin (ars) rtria, (art) of speaking, feminine sing. of rtrius, oratorical, from rtor, speaker, from rtus, past participle of rre, to speak.]

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or·a·to·ry ²  (ôr-tôr, -tr, r-)

n. pl. or·a·to·ries

1. A place for prayer, such as a small private chapel.

2. also Oratory

a. A Roman Catholic religious society founded in 1575 by Saint Philip Neri and consisting of secular priests.

b. A branch or church of this society.

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[Middle English oratorie, from Old French, from Late Latin rtrium, place of prayer, from Latin, neuter of rtrius, for praying, from rre, to pray.]

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oratory ¹ [or-rat-tree]

Noun

the art or skill of public speaking [Latin (ars) oratoria (the art of) public speaking]

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oratory ²

Noun

pl -ries a small room or building set apart for private prayer [Latin orare to pray]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

oratory - addressing an audience formally (usually a long and rhetorical address and often pompous); "he loved the sound of his own oratory" speech, address - the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience; "he listened to an address on minor Roman poets" keynote address, keynote speech - a speech setting forth the keynote nominating address, nominating speech, nomination - an address (usually at a political convention) proposing the name of a candidate to run for election; "the nomination was brief and to the point" oration - an instance of oratory; "he delivered an oration on the decline of family values" declamation - vehement oratory epideictic oratory - a type of oratory used to eulogize or condemn a person or group of people; "Pericles' funeral oration for Athenians killed in the Peloponnesian War is a famous example of epideictic oratory" stump speech - political oratory salutatory, salutatory address, salutatory oration - an opening or welcoming statement (especially one delivered at graduation exercises) valediction, valedictory, valedictory address, valedictory oration - a farewell oration (especially one delivered during graduation exercises by an outstanding member of a graduating class)

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oratory

noun rhetoric, eloquence, public speaking, speech-making, expressiveness, fluency, a way with words, declamation, speechifying, grandiloquence, spieling (informal) whaikorero N.Z.