diction

noun

dic·tion | \ ˈdik-shən

Definition of diction

1a : vocal expression : enunciation

b : pronunciation and enunciation of words in singing

2 : choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness, or effectiveness

3 obsolete : verbal description

Other Words from diction Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about diction

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Other Words from diction

dictional \ ˈdik-shnəl

, -shə-nᵊl \ adjective

dictionally \ ˈdik-shnəl-ē

, -shə-nᵊl- \ adverb

Did You Know?

When your English teacher complains about some of the words you chose to use in an essay, she's talking about your diction. She may also use the term when commenting on the word choices made by a poet, and why a particular word was the best one possible in a particular line. But the second meaning of diction is just as common, and your English teacher might use that one on you as well, especially when she's asked you to read something aloud and you mumble your way through it.

Examples of diction in a Sentence

He has wisely chosen to render almost all the material in what novelists and writers of creative nonfiction like to call "close third person," approximating the diction and consciousness of his characters but retaining the freedom to wander into the bigger picture. — Thomas Mallon, New York Times Book Review, 22 Feb. 2009 No one is better than Didion at using flatness of affect and formality of diction to convey seething anger and disdain. — New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2001 When he sang Anatol in the world premiere of Samuel Barber's Vanessa, in 1958, Gedda's performance received high marks for impeccable diction and enunciation—in that mostly American cast, he was the only principal whose English could be understood. — Patrick J. Smith, Opera News, November 1999 The actor's diction was so poor I could hardly understand what he was saying. The student's essay was full of careless diction.

Recent Examples on the Web

Foreign language classes in school often focus on formal diction that sounds nothing like the way people actually talk. — NBC News, "Master a new language in time for your next big vacation or trip," 24 July 2019 Yes, the diction in the tweets is strange sometimes, but no more so than, say, Jeff Bezos’s sexts. — Dustin Kurtz, The New Republic, "Why Amazon’s Twitter Ambassadors Are So Sad," 16 Aug. 2019 That slightly theatrical clipped diction perfectly complemented the narrow, disbelieving eyes and that matinee-idol pompadour. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "Documentary ‘Mike Wallace Is Here’ is a slam-bang look at a slam-bang interviewer," 31 July 2019 Physical attributes aside, Nilsson’s inexhaustible work ethic and consummate professionalism were rock-solid, and affected everything from her renowned business acumen to her crystalline diction. — Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, "Wagner’s Wonder Woman," 8 Sep. 2018 In such moments, Howland records the way Chicagoans actually speak: the casual diction, the swaggering tone, the musical mistakes. — Abigail Deutsch, Harper's magazine, "Bette on the Blues," 22 July 2019 The taut, focused staging matched the incisive musical direction from harpsichordist Nicholas Kok, leader of the eight-member period instrument band that played from the rear corners of the set, and the excellent diction of the singers. — Heidi Waleson, WSJ, "Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Review: Wrenching Drama and Vicious Satire," 25 June 2019 Another thing was the importance stressed on simple, to-the-point diction. — High School Journalism Institute, oregonlive.com, "Student voices: My views on journalism, then and now," 16 July 2019 The diction is simple, the writing artless; the world of the novel, told in a basic third-person voice, claustrophobic. — E. Tammy Kim, The New York Review of Books, "#KoreaToo," 7 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for diction

earlier, "word, phrase," going back to Middle English dicion "saying," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French dictyoun "word," borrowed from Latin dictiōn-, dictiō "act of speaking, speech, (in grammar) word, expression, form," from dic-, variant stem of dīcere "to talk, speak, say, utter" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns; dīcere going back to Indo-European *dei̯k- "show, point out," whence also, with varying ablaut, Germanic *tīh-a- "point out" (whence Old English tēon "to accuse," Old Saxon aftīhan "to deny," Old High German zīhan "to accuse," Old Norse tjā, tēa "to show, report," Gothic gateihan "to announce, tell"), Greek deíknȳmi, deiknýnai "to show, point out," Sanskrit diśati "(s/he) shows, exhibits"

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More Definitions for diction

diction

noun

English Language Learners Definition of diction

: the clearness of a person's speech

: the way in which words are used in speech or writing

See the full definition for diction in the English Language Learners Dictionary

diction

noun

dic·tion | \ ˈdik-shən

Kids Definition of diction

1 : choice of words especially with regard to correctness, clearness, and effectiveness

2 : the ability to say words He has excellent diction for his age.

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diction

Definition of diction

Other Words from diction

Synonyms for diction

Did You Know?

Examples of diction in a Sentence

First Known Use of diction

History and Etymology for diction

English Language Learners Definition of diction

Kids Definition of diction

diction

Definition of diction

Other Words from diction

Synonyms for diction

Did You Know?

Examples of diction in a Sentence

First Known Use of diction

History and Etymology for diction

English Language Learners Definition of diction

Kids Definition of diction

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