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peroration

noun
per·​o·​ra·​tion | \ ˌper-ə-ˈrā-shən also ˌpər- How to pronounce peroration (audio) \

Definition of peroration

1 : the concluding part of a discourse and especially an oration
2 : a highly rhetorical speech
Other Words from peroration Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about peroration

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Other Words from peroration

perorational \ ˌper-​ə-​ˈrā-​shnəl How to pronounce perorational (audio) , ˌpər-​ , -​shə-​nᵊl \ adjective

Did You Know?

As you may have already guessed, "peroration" is a relative of "oration." Both words ultimately derive from the Latin orare, meaning "to speak" or "to plead." The direct ancestor of "peroration" is the Latin verb perorare, meaning "to declaim at length or "to wind up an oration." "Perorare," in turn, comes from the combination of "per-" ("through") and "orare." The English language also has the verb "perorate," which means "to deliver a long or grandiloquent speech" or "to offer a concluding part of a speech."

Examples of peroration in a Sentence

We sat through a lengthy peroration on the evils of the government's policies. gave an eloquent peroration celebrating the nation's long tradition of religious tolerance and pluralism

Recent Examples on the Web

 The president’s wintertime inconstancy was a matter of little concern to attendees in Dallas, who enthusiastically cheered Mr. Trump’s perorations on subjects ranging from North Korean peace talks to his vote tally in the Electoral College. — Alexander Burns, New York Times, "Renewing Bond With the N.R.A., Trump Appeals for Help in the Midterms," 4 May 2018 Reagan said more in his average 35-minute remarks than Bill Clinton ever did in his average 75-minute perorations. — Andrew Malcolm, San Francisco Chronicle, "Make State of the Union speeches more useful," 8 Feb. 2018 Pastor Goff, after joking that all the famous visitors had eaten up his preaching time, brought the theme into his peroration. — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, "'They Come for My Rights in the Morning, They Will Come for Yours in the Afternoon.'," 15 Aug. 2016

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

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First Known Use of peroration

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for peroration

Middle English peroracyon, from Latin peroration-, peroratio, from perorare

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More Definitions for peroration

peroration

noun
How to pronounce peroration (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of peroration

formal
: the last part of a speech
disapproving : a long and dull speech

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

More from Merriam-Webster on peroration

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with peroration

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for peroration

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