Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: spræc, spæc


Related topics: Theatre, Linguistics
speech S2 W2
1 [countable] a talk, especially a formal one about a particular subject, given to a group of people:
a campaign speech
give/make/deliver a speech
speech on/about
a major speech on relations with China
a conference including meals and after-dinner speeches
Collins gave the keynote speech (=most important speech).
2 [uncountable] the ability to speak:
Only humans are capable of speech.
3 [uncountable]SL spoken language rather than written language:
In speech we use a smaller vocabulary than in writing.
4 [uncountable]SL the particular way in which someone speaks:
Bob's speech was slurred, and he sounded drunk.
5 [countable]APT a set of lines that an actor must say in a play:
Hamlet's longest speech

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