oration

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ōrātiō, ōrātiōnem, from ōrō (“I orate”) + -ātiō (“action (nominalizer)”). Cognate with and doublet of orison.

Pronunciation
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ɔɹˈeɪʃən/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

oration (plural orations)

  1. A formal, often ceremonial speech.
    a funeral oration; an impassioned oration; to make / deliver / pronounce an oration
  2. (humorous) A lengthy speech or argument in a private setting.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, “In which the Arrival of a Man of War puts a final End to Hostilities, and causes the Conclusion of a firm and lasting Peace between all Parties”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume III, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book IX, page 338:
      My Landlord was likewiſe beginning his Oration to Jones, but was preſently interrupted by that generous Youth, who ſhook him heartily by the Hand; and aſſured him of entire Forgiveneſs […]
    • 1854, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter 16, in Ruth‎:
      Sally bustled off to set on the kettle for tea, and felt half ashamed, in the quiet of the kitchen, to think of the oration she had made in the parlour.
    • 1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, chapter IV, in Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, 1944, →OCLC, part I, page 63:
      The supper things cleared away, Gerald resumed his oration, but with little satisfaction to himself and none at all to his audience.
  3. (Catholicism) A specific form of short, solemn prayer said by the president of the liturgical celebration on behalf of the people.

Synonyms

Translations
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Verb

oration (third-person singular simple present orations, present participle orationing, simple past and past participle orationed)

  1. To deliver an oration; to speak.
    • 1633, John Donne (attributed translator), The Auncient History of the Septuagint. Written in Greeke, by Aristeus 1900. yeares since, London, p. 80, cited in Henry Todd, A Dictionary of the English Language, London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1818, Volume 3,
      They gave answers with great sufficiency touching all difficulties concerning their own law, and had marvellous promptitude both for orationing and giving judgement.
    • 1764, Samuel Foote, The Mayor of Garratt, Act II, in The Dramatic Works of Samuel Foote, Dublin: S. Price et al., 1778, Volume 1, p. 286,
      […] Master Primmer is the man for my money; a man of learning; that can lay down the law: why, adzooks, he is wise enough to puzzle the parson: and then, how you have heard him oration at the Adam and Eve of a Saturday night, about Russia and Prussia […]
    • 1876, George Meredith, chapter 10, in Beauchamp’s Career‎, volume 2, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, page 129:
      What right have you to be lecturing and orationing? You’ve no knowledge.

Synonyms

Anagrams

Swedish

Noun

oration c

  1. an oration (formal, often ceremonial speech)
  2. oration (lengthy (empty) talk or writing)

Declension
Declension of oration 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative oration orationen orationer orationerna
Genitive orations orationens orationers orationernas

References
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