Meaning & use
orator
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Meaning
nouncountable
A person who is skilled at giving public speeches, especially one who can persuade or move an audience.
Grammar: Countable: one orator, two orators. Often used with adjectives like 'great', 'powerful', 'gifted'.
Patterns
- a great orator
- a powerful orator
- be known as an orator
She was a gifted orator who could hold the attention of thousands.
The conference ended with a speech by a famous orator.
He was praised as an orator rather than a writer.
Word forms
| plural | orators |
|---|
Common combinations
- great orator
- Winston Churchill is often remembered as a great orator.
- powerful orator
- The young politician proved to be a powerful orator.
- skilled orator
- A skilled orator can make even a dull topic interesting.
- public orator
- The university appointed a public orator to speak at ceremonies.
Synonyms and how they differ
- speaker
- Neutral term for anyone who speaks; 'orator' implies special skill and eloquence.
- lecturer
- Someone who gives educational talks; not necessarily gifted at persuasion.
- rhetorician
- Focuses on the art of using language effectively, often in writing as well as speech.
Word family
- oratory noun
- The art of public speaking or a small chapel.
- oratorical adjective
- Relating to public speaking or its style.
Commonly confused: orator or orator?
orator vs orator
Not to be confused with 'orator' meaning a person who prays; that is 'orant' or 'prayer'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'orator' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Orator' means a skilled public speaker, so sentence B fits. The others use it as if it meant a painter, a device, or food, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “orator”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.