articulate

CEFRC1

/ɑː(ɹ)ˈtɪk.jʊ.leɪt/

verb · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To express an idea clearly in words.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Able to speak or explain ideas clearly.

Examples

  • Only a handful of activists in our union are articulate.

  • Sometimes he has difficulty being articulate about his views.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • /ɑː(ɹ)ˈtɪk.jʊ.lət/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To explain; to put into words; to make something specific.

  2. To speak clearly; to enunciate.

  3. To make clear or effective.

More examples

In context

  • She struggled to articulate her thoughts.

  • I like this painting, but I can’t articulate why.

  • I wish he’d articulate his words more clearly.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The lawyer was able to blank her arguments clearly during the trial.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

The adjective is first attested in 1531, the verb in 1551; borrowed from Latin articulātus (“distinct, articulated, jointed”), perfect passive participle of articulō, see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.