or·a·to·ry
ˈȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-ē 
ˈär-
plural oratories
1
: a place of prayer
especially
: a private or institutional chapel
The mansion contained an oratory for the family's private devotion.
2
capitalized
: an Oratorian congregation, house, or church
1
: the art of speaking in public eloquently or effectively
2
a
: public speaking that employs oratory
b
: public speaking that is characterized by the use of stock phrases and that appeals chiefly to the emotions
Synonyms
Examples of oratory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
As a woman who holds power one’s modus operandi relies on exuding influence not just through her oratory skills.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
The young Benjamin began doing readings of his poetry in a church and was called by the church elders Zephaniah, an Old Testament prophet, for his oratory.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2023
Jen Psaki, who avoids the hammer-and-tong oratory used by many primetime news hosts, recently saw her purview at MSNBC expand to Monday.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Possibly, his mere celebrity presence and oratory skills overawed his audiences.
—Albert Camus, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
Those were the very words Helen herself spoke at the age of 10, in a prize-winning speech in a 1937 oratory competition.
—Nicholas P. Brown, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2023
As notable as those oddities and antics are, here are some of the biggest talking points from Wednesday’s oratory merry-go-round that featured representatives from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and Kentucky.
—Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 19 July 2023
Many remember the sweeping, hopeful, spiritual oratory of what at times seems more like a sermon.
DR.
—ABC News, 27 Aug. 2023
Noun
Rising from humble farmhand to community organizer to a leader of the national Fatah party, Mr. Barghouti became known for his soaring oratory and common touch.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024
As a woman who holds power one’s modus operandi relies on exuding influence not just through her oratory skills.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
The young Benjamin began doing readings of his poetry in a church and was called by the church elders Zephaniah, an Old Testament prophet, for his oratory.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2023
Jen Psaki, who avoids the hammer-and-tong oratory used by many primetime news hosts, recently saw her purview at MSNBC expand to Monday.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Possibly, his mere celebrity presence and oratory skills overawed his audiences.
—Albert Camus, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
Those were the very words Helen herself spoke at the age of 10, in a prize-winning speech in a 1937 oratory competition.
—Nicholas P. Brown, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2023
As notable as those oddities and antics are, here are some of the biggest talking points from Wednesday’s oratory merry-go-round that featured representatives from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and Kentucky.
—Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 19 July 2023
Many remember the sweeping, hopeful, spiritual oratory of what at times seems more like a sermon.
DR.
—ABC News, 27 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oratory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near oratory
Cite this Entry
“Oratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oratory. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
oratory
1 of 2 noun
or·a·to·ry
ˈȯr-ə-ˌtōr-ē
ˈär-,
-ˌtȯr-
plural oratories
: a place for prayer
especially
: a private chapel
oratory
2 of 2 noun1
: the art of an orator
2
: oratorical language or speeches
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