1. (language) communication by word of mouth
   "his speech was garbled"; "The team preferred speech communication over email for sensitive discussions";
   - speech communication, spoken communication, spoken language, language, voice communication, oral communication
    
2. The act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
   "he listened to a speech on minor Roman poets";
   - address
    
3. Something spoken
   "he could hear them uttering merry speeches"
    
4. The exchange of spoken words
   "they were perfectly comfortable together without speech"
    
5. Your characteristic style or manner of expressing yourself orally
   "her speech was barren of southernisms"; "I detected a slight accent in his speech";
   - manner of speaking, delivery
    
6. The mental faculty or power of vocal communication
   "speech sets homo sapiens apart from all other animals";
   - language
    
7. Words making up the dialogue of a play
   "the actor forgot his speech";
   - words
    
8. A lengthy rebuke
   "a good speech was my father's idea of discipline";
   - lecture, talking to [informal]

Derived forms: speeches

Type of: auditory communication, expressive style, faculty, line, mental faculty, module, rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval, speaking, speech act, speech production, style, utterance, vocalization

Part of: dialog [US], dialogue, paralanguage, paralinguistic communication

Encyclopedia: Speech, language, and the law