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

This swing-arm desk lamp has three points of articulation which lets you adjust the height and angle to create the ideal lighting, no matter the task.

From Popular-Science

The Bronco has 10 inches of articulation between the two sides of the front suspension, which is more than Wrangler.

From Popular-Science

If you go farther off-road than simple dirt roads, a mid-size truck like the Ford Ranger or the upcoming Bronco will still offer more articulation, better angles, and more traction.

From Outside Online

Consider the most infamous articulation of Christian nationalism’s anti-democratic goals from Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the Moral Majority.

From Time

This was simple, strong, and granted vehicles so endowed with the easy ability to access a lot of wheel articulation.

From Outside Online

Smith speaks with perfect articulation and a vacuous undertone laces her words.

From The Daily Beast

ALEC: The writing is so smart and well crafted that articulation is critical.

From The Daily Beast

To me, this was both a perfect articulation of the problem and the suggestion of a solution.

From The Daily Beast

It's not like Kanye brought the articulation either when he apologized on his website.

From The Daily Beast

The quality of artistic beauty in articulation is very important, beyond the mere accuracy which is ordinarily thought of.

From Project Gutenberg

To make the effort of articulation a vital impulse in response to a mental concept,—this is the object sought.

From Project Gutenberg

Let your articulation be easy, clear, correct in accent, and suited in tone and emphasis to your discourse.

From Project Gutenberg

Mrs. Carroll made a violent effort at articulation, then shook her head, despairingly.

From Project Gutenberg

A crunching of feet upon the gravel mixed in with the articulation of the sea—steps light as if they were winged.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• diction