eloquence

noun

el·​o·​quence ˈe-lə-kwən(t)s How to pronounce eloquence (audio)
1
: discourse marked by force and persuasiveness
also : the art or power of using such discourse
2
: the quality of forceful or persuasive expressiveness

Examples of eloquence in a Sentence

The senator's eloquence is well known. She spoke with eloquence on the need for better schools.
Recent Examples on the Web But, even among Black folks, some hair has an eloquence that other hair might not be afforded. Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024 The Wingfield family’s repressions are bound to boil over, but they are lulled into stasis by Williams’ poetical eloquence. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Dec. 2023 De Niro does have other things to occupy his mind, however, despite any lack of eloquence on those topics. Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2023 The two have been colleagues for three decades, since the now 63-year-old president was a young philosophy instructor, a teacher’s union leader, and a democracy advocate noted for his eloquence. Ellen Knickmeyer and Tracy Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2023 The selection was inevitably going to be a progressive Democrat, and was likely to bring to the chamber some combination of the eloquence of Kamala Harris, the bipartisan goodwill of Barbara Boxer, the sparkling personality of Gray Davis, and the fresh face of Nancy Pelosi. The Editors, National Review, 5 Oct. 2023 Growing up in Dundee in the ‘60s and ‘70s certainly had its moments, and Paterson mines them with gusto, eloquence, and humor, sharing his obsessions, his worries, his questions, his moments of defeat, and his moments of glory in this invigorating memoir. Daneet Steffens, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023 From celebration to calamity, from farce to affliction, the novel is swept along by the raw eloquence of McBride’s voice. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2023 The Beethoven certainly showed off the eloquence of the DSO’s principal winds: flutist David Buck (with a warm tone that almost sounded like a wooden instrument), clarinetist Gregory Raden, oboist Erin Hannigan and bassoonist Ted Soluri. Dallas News, 4 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eloquence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin ēloquentia, noun derivative of ēloquent-, ēloquens "capable of speech, expressing oneself fluently, eloquent"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of eloquence was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near eloquence

Cite this Entry

“Eloquence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eloquence. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

eloquence

noun
el·​o·​quence ˈel-ə-kwən(t)s How to pronounce eloquence (audio)
: speech or writing that is forceful and convincing
also : the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way

More from Merriam-Webster on eloquence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!