utterance
/' t r ns/
Definition
- Noun:
- An act of speaking or expressing something vocally: An "utterance" refers to the action of producing spoken words or sounds.
- Something that is said; a spoken word, statement, or vocal sound: An "utterance" can also refer to the specific words or sounds that are produced when someone speaks.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- Her first utterance after waking up was a request for coffee.
- The child's utterances were simple but clear.
- He gave utterance to his feelings of frustration. (This uses the phrase "gave utterance to," meaning expressed.)
Advanced Usage
- In linguistics: An "utterance" is any unit of speech bounded by silence or a change of speaker. It can be a single word, a phrase, a sentence, or a longer stretch of speech.
- The linguist analyzed each utterance in the conversation for its grammatical structure.
- To give utterance to (something): A formal phrase meaning to express a thought or feeling in words.
- The poem gives powerful utterance to the experience of loss.
Variants and Related Words
- Utter (verb): To say something aloud or to produce a sound with one's voice.
- She did not utter a single word during the meeting.
- Utters (verb, third person singular): He/she/it utters.
- Uttered (verb, past tense): Spoke or expressed.
- Uttering (verb, present participle): The act of speaking.
Synonyms
- Statement: A definite or clear expression of something in speech or writing.
- Remark: Something said, usually briefly or casually.
- Expression: The act of making your thoughts or feelings known, especially through words.
Related Phrases
- Free utterance: The right or ability to speak openly.
- The principle of free utterance is vital in a democracy.
- Inarticulate utterance: A vocal sound that is not clear or coherent speech.
- He made an inarticulate utterance of surprise.
Related Idioms
- To hang on someone's every utterance: To listen to someone with great attention and interest.
- The audience hung on the speaker's every utterance.
Noun
-
the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
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