orator

[ awr-uh-ter, or- ]

noun

1. a person who delivers an oration; a public speaker, especially one of great eloquence:

   Demosthenes was one of the great orators of ancient Greece.

2. Law. a plaintiff in a case in a court of equity.

orator

/ ˈɒrətə /

noun

1. a public speaker, esp one versed in rhetoric
2. a person given to lengthy or pompous speeches
3. obsolete.
   the claimant in a cause of action in chancery

Other Words From

• ora·tor·like adjective
• ora·tor·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of orator¹

1325–75; < Latin ōrātor speaker, suppliant, equivalent to ōrā ( re ) ( oration ) + -tor -tor; replacing Middle English oratour < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

Example Sentences

His friends describe him as a charismatic orator, who spoke softly and possessed wells of energy for the issues he cared about most.

From Salon

She is not an eloquent orator - and does not seem to have much of a plan to improve our country.

From BBC

"He's not an orator," says Yaari.

From BBC

One of Biden’s unique gifts as a public communicator has always been his ability to translate his experience with personal tragedy into public consolation—at his best, he is a remarkably empathetic orator, capable of connecting with people from wildly different walks of life through the common experience of pain.

From Slate

Harris has an enormous resume, with skills as an attorney, an orator and a policymaker.

From Salon

Related Words

• lecturer
• preacher
• public speaker