Articulate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /är-ˈti-kyə-lət/ (adjective) /är-ˈti-kyə-ˌlāt/ (verb) ar·tic·u·late

Meaning & Definition of Articulate

Articulate (adjective)

  1. expressing oneself readily, clearly, and effectively; also, expressed in such a manner
  2. divided into syllables or words meaningfully arranged, intelligible
  3. able to speak

Articulate (verb)

  1. to give clear and effective utterance to, to put into words
  2. to utter distinctly
  3. to give definition to (something, such as a shape or object)

Articulate (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. able to express oneself clearly and well

    "the television crew covering the science fair were looking for photogenic and articulate students to explain their projects on the air"

    similar: eloquent, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken
    related: facile, glib, smooth-tongued, voluble, expressive, outspoken, verbal, vocal, blabby, chatty, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, verbose, unfaltering, unhesitating
    opposite: inarticulate, ineloquent, unvocal
    near: faltering, halting, hesitant, maundering, mumbling, muttering, sputtering, stammering, stumbling, stuttering, mute, speechless, tongueless, tongue-tied, voiceless

Articulate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to utter clearly and distinctly

    "uses a very measured tone and articulates every syllable when issuing scoldings"

    similar: enunciate
    related: express, pronounce, say, speak, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, voice, speak out, speak up
    near: falter, grunt, halt, hesitate, maunder, splutter, sputter, stammer, stumble, stutter, mouth, mumble, murmur, mutter, whisper, breathe, drawl, gasp

  2. to convey in appropriate or telling terms

    "an essay that masterfully articulates the case for a greater commitment to space exploration"

    similar: clothe, couch, express, formulate, phrase, put, say, state, word
    related: craft, frame, hint, imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest, paraphrase, rephrase, restate, reword, summarize, translate, communicate, disclose, speak, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, describe, render, write up

  3. to express (a thought or emotion) in words

    "I'm not articulating my thoughts very well"

    similar: bring out, enunciate, pass, say, speak, state, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, put into words
    related: air, discuss, give, look, share, sound, vent, ventilate, voice, blabber, bolt, blurt, get off, shoot, advertise, announce, blaze, broadcast, declare, post, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, breathe, chirp, drawl, gasp, lip, mouth, murmur, purr, shout, splutter, spout, whisper, clothe, couch, formulate, formulize, phrase, put, word, comment, pipe up (with), remark, rip (out), snarl
    near: stifle, suppress

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Articulate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Articulate:

eloquent, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken, enunciate, clothe, couch, express, formulate, phrase, put, say, state, word, bring out, pass, speak, talk, tell, utter, verbalize, vocalize, put into words

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Articulate

Words with the opposite meaning of Articulate:

inarticulate, ineloquent, unvocal

Related Words for Articulate

facile, glib, smooth-tongued, voluble, expressive, outspoken, verbal, vocal, blabby, chatty, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, verbose, unfaltering, unhesitating, pronounce, voice, speak out, speak up, craft, frame, hint, imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest, paraphrase, rephrase, restate

Near Antonyms of Articulate

faltering, halting, hesitant, maundering, mumbling, muttering, sputtering, stammering, stumbling, stuttering, mute, speechless, tongueless, tongue-tied, voiceless, falter, grunt, halt, hesitate, maunder, splutter, sputter, stammer, stumble, stutter, mouth, mumble, murmur, mutter, whisper

Word Forms of Articulate

Inflections: articulated, articulating

Derived words: articulately (adverb), articulateness (noun), articulative (adjective), articulator (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Articulate

borrowed from Late Latin articulātus "uttered distinctly, expressed clearly" (as translation of Greek énarthros), past participle of articulāre "to make distinct sounds," going back to Latin, "to divide into distinct parts," derivative of articulus "joint, part of a limb or digit between joints, point of time, clause of a document" article:1

First known use: 1531

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Articulate

Frequently Asked Questions about Articulate

What does "Articulate" mean?

"Articulate" means expressing oneself readily, clearly, and effectively; also, expressed in such a manner. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: expressing oneself readily, clearly, and effectively; also, expressed in such a manner. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Articulate"?

Other words for "Articulate" include eloquent, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken, enunciate, clothe, couch and express. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Articulate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Articulate"?

There are 108 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Articulate". Common alternatives include eloquent, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken, enunciate, clothe, couch, express, formulate and phrase.

What is the opposite of "Articulate"?

Antonyms of "Articulate" include inarticulate, ineloquent and unvocal. Near antonyms include faltering, halting, hesitant and maundering.

How do you use "Articulate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Articulate" in a sentence: "the television crew covering the science fair were looking for photogenic and articulate students to explain their projects on the air"; "uses a very measured tone and articulates every syllable when issuing scoldings"; "an essay that masterfully articulates the case for a greater commitment to space exploration".

Is "Articulate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Articulate" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Articulate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Articulate" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Articulate"?

"Articulate" is pronounced /är-ˈti-kyə-lət/ as an adjective and /är-ˈti-kyə-ˌlāt/ as a verb and divided into syllables as ar·tic·u·late.