diction
noun/ˈdɪk.ʃən/
Etymology From late Middle English diccion (“something said; a word or phrase”) (an obsolete sense in Modern English), borrowed directly from Latin dictiō (“a saying, speaking, uttering”) or from Old French dicïon (“word”) (Anglo-Norman dictyoun), from Late Latin dictiō (“word”), both from dīcō (“to say, to talk”) + -tiō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, to point out”). The modern senses of “choice and use of words” and “clarity of word choice” were likely influenced by additional senses of dictiō.
1
Choice and use of words, especially with regard to effective communication.
- the identification of the poetic impulse with sonorous diction
2
The effectiveness and degree of clarity of word choice and expression.
- His poor diction meant that most of the audience didn't really understand the key points of the presentation.
3
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Theater Enunciation, pronunciation.
- Derived terms
- dictional
- Related terms
- dictate, dictation, dictionary, dictum, articulation, elocution, prosody