utterance

An act of, or the process of, uttering.

Noun

  1. An act of, or the process of, uttering.
    • at length gave utterance to these words - 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker,...
    • July 1857, The Imagination in Mathematics", in The North American Review Mathematics and Poetry are … the utterance of the same power of imagination, only that in the one case it is addressed to the head, in the other,...

    Synonyms: uttering

  2. An instance of that act or process: especially, something spoken (e.g., syllables, words, phrases); (especially linguistics) any such thing either spoken or written.
    • And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. - 1918, W[illiam]...
    • To know how one should express oneself in saying or judging that there really are falsehoods without getting caught up in contradiction by such an utterance: that's extremely difficult, Theaetetus. - 2005, Plato,...
  3. The ability to speak.
    • Mrs. Weston kissed her with tears of joy; and when she could find utterance, assured her, that this protestation had done her more good than any thing else in the world could do. - 1815 December (indicated as 1816),...
  4. A manner of speaking.
    • He has a good utterance.
    • They [...] began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts ii:4:
    • [...] O, how frail / To that large utterance of the early Gods! - 1818–1819, John Keats, “Hyperion, a Fragment”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and...
  5. A sale made by offering to the public.
    • The clothemakers[…] had great profite and good utterance of the sayd cloth - a. 1564, King Edward IV of England, a royal decree:
  6. An act of putting in circulation.
    • the utterance of false coin, or of forged notes

Origin

From Middle English utteraunce, outeraunce; equivalent to utter + -ance.

Forms

utterances utteraunce

Related

utter utterable utterer

Derived

performative utterance

Noun archaic, literary

  1. The utmost extremity, especially of a fight; bodily harm or death.
    • Among champions and such as strive for the masterie in feats of activitie, we count those for their adversaries and concurrents onely, who professe and practise the same kinde of game or exercise; for those that goe to...
    • To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! Rather than so, come fate into the list, And champion me to th' utterance. - c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William...
    • Besides, For the most part, the Combate was continued or ended at the discretion of the Prince, or his Substitutes, which also did most commonly part the Duellists, and not suffer them to proceed to the utterance, but...

    Synonyms: outrance

Origin

From Middle English outraunce, utteraunce, from Old French outrance (see outrance).

Forms

utterances utteraunce