Definition

1. Proper Noun:
   • A Famous Speech: The Gettysburg Address is the name given to a very short but extremely important speech delivered by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. It was given on November 19, 1863, during the American Civil War, at the dedication ceremony for the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The speech is famous for its powerful expression of the principles of human equality and the purpose of the war as a struggle to preserve a nation "conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Examples of Usage

• Proper Noun:
  • The Gettysburg Address is one of the most quoted speeches in American history.
  • Students are often required to memorize the Gettysburg Address.
  • Lincoln's Gettysburg Address redefined the meaning of the Civil War.

Advanced Usage

• "to deliver the Gettysburg Address": to give or recite this specific speech.
  • Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in just over two minutes.
• "the principles of the Gettysburg Address": referring to the core ideas (like equality and national unity) expressed in the speech.
  • The politician invoked the principles of the Gettysburg Address in his call for justice.

Variants and Related Words

• Gettysburg (Proper Noun): The town in Pennsylvania where a major battle of the American Civil War was fought in July 1863, and where the address was later given.
• Address (Noun): A formal speech delivered to an audience. In this context, "address" is part of the proper name of the speech.

Synonyms

• Lincoln's Gettysburg Speech: A less common but descriptive synonym.
• The Gettysburg Oration: A more formal synonym for the speech.

Related Phrases

• "Four score and seven years ago...": The iconic opening phrase of the Gettysburg Address.
  • He began his remarks by quoting, "Four score and seven years ago..." from the Gettysburg Address.
• "Government of the people, by the people, for the people": The famous closing phrase of the Gettysburg Address, defining democracy.
  • The phrase "government of the people, by the people, for the people" from the Gettysburg Address is known worldwide.

Noun

1. a three-minute address by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War at the dedication of a national cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg (November 19, 1863)