articulation

[ ahr-tik-yuh-ley-shuhn ]

noun

1. an act or the process of articulating:

   the articulation of a form;

   the articulation of a new thought.

2. Phonetics.
   1. the act or process of articulating speech.
   2. the adjustments and movements of speech organs involved in pronouncing a particular sound, taken as a whole.
   3. any one of these adjustments and movements.
   4. any speech sound, especially a consonant.
3. the act of jointing.
4. a jointed state or formation; a joint.
5. Botany.
   1. a joint or place between two parts where separation may take place spontaneously, as at the point of attachment of a leaf.
   2. a node in a stem, or the space between two nodes.
6. Anatomy, Zoology. a joint, as the joining or juncture of bones or of the movable segments of an arthropod.
7. Dentistry.
   1. the positioning of teeth in a denture, usually on an articulator, for correct occlusion.
   2. the bringing of opposing tooth surfaces into contact with each other.
   3. the relations of the upper and lower natural or artificial teeth in occlusion.
8. a measure of the effectiveness of a telephonic transmission system in reproducing speech comprehensibly, expressed as the percentage of speech units uttered that is correctly understood.

articulation

/ ɑːˌtɪkjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of speaking or expressing in words
2. 1. the process of articulating a speech sound
   2. the sound so produced, esp a consonant
3. the act or the state of being jointed together
4. the form or manner in which something is jointed
5. zoology
   1. a joint such as that between bones or arthropod segments
   2. the way in which jointed parts are connected
6. botany the part of a plant at which natural separation occurs, such as the joint between leaf and stem
7. a joint or jointing

articulation

/ är-tĭk′yə-lā′shən /

1. The arrangement of parts connected by joints.
2. A fixed or movable joint between bones.
3. A movable joint between inflexible parts of the body of an animal, as the divisions of an appendage in arthropods.
4. A joint between two separable parts, as a leaf and a stem.

Derived Forms

• arˈticulatory, adjective

Other Words From

• ar·tic·u·la·to·ry [ahr-, tik, -y, uh, -l, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], adjective
• ar·ticu·la·tori·ly adverb
• misar·ticu·lation noun
• rear·ticu·lation noun
• subar·ticu·lation noun
• unar·ticu·la·tory adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of articulation¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English articulacio(u)n, from Middle French, from Latin articulātiōn-, stem of articulātiō “division into distinct parts,” from articulāt(us) “divided into distinct parts” + -iō noun suffix; articulate -ion

Example Sentences

Smith’s latest filing is a response to that ruling and a detailed articulation of why Trump’s actions to subvert the 2020 election were taken not in his official capacity as president, but in his private capacity as a losing political candidate — and therefore not something for which he enjoys immunity.

From Los Angeles Times

“The farther you get into language and articulation, the father you get from emotion. You have to get back into song and poetry,” he told The Times in 2002.

From Los Angeles Times

But the history of those cases is not just the articulation of a more inclusive vision regarding whose rights should be protected.

From Salon

The aggressive and often baseless filings by Mr. Trump’s lawyers amounted to a multipronged assault on the underpinnings of the classified documents case and were the sharpest articulation yet of an argument the former president has often raised on the campaign trail: that law enforcement has been weaponized against him in a series of overreaching and politically driven witch hunts.

From New York Times

In these early, seated musical run-throughs, before sets and blocking enter the picture and conductors and directors rule, he dives deep into the fine points of diction, articulation, rhythm and balances, seeking unity among dozens of people.

From New York Times

Related Words

• diction