#speech_communication__speech__spoken_language__language__voice_communication__voicecommunication__oral_communication communication by word of mouth; "his speech was slurred"; "the telephone greatly increased the range of speech communication"; "he uttered harsh language"; "he recorded the spoken language of the streets"
supertype: #auditory_communication communication that relies on hearing
subtype: #words__word the words that are spoken; "I listened to his words very closely"
subtype: #conversation speech used for informal exchange of views
subtype: #crossfire.conversation a lively or heated interchange of ideas and opinions
subtype: #phatic_speech__phatic_communication conversational speech used to communicate sociability more than information
subtype: #exchange.conversation a mutual expression of views (especially an unpleasant one); "they had a bitter exchange"
subtype: #chat__confab__confabulation__schmoose an informal conversation
subtype: #chitchat__small_talk__smalltalk__gab__gabfest__gossip__tittle-tattle__chin-wag__chin-wagging__causerie light informal conversation for social occasions
subtype: #gossiping__gossipmongering a conversation that spreads personal information about other people
subtype: #scandalmongering spreading malicious gossip
subtype: #talking__talk an exchange of ideas via conversation; "let's have more work and less talk around here"
subtype: #shop_talk talk about your business that only others in the same business can understand
subtype: #dialogue__dialog__duologue a conversation between two persons
subtype: #yakety-yak__yak__chatter noisy talk
subtype: #prate__idle_talk__blether__chinmusic idle or foolish and irrelevant talk
subtype: #idle_words__wind__jazz__nothingness__nothingnes empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk; that's a lot of wind"; "don't give me any of that jazz"
subtype: #pious_platitude__cant insincere talk about religion or morals
subtype: #nothings inconsequential conversation; "they traded a few nothings as they parted"
subtype: #sweet_nothings__honeyed_words__honeyedword inconsequential expressions of affection; "he whispered sweet nothings into her ear"
subtype: #commerce social exchange, especially of opinions, attitudes, etc.
subtype: #colloquy formal conversation
subtype: #rap (informal) voluble conversation
subtype: #rap_session__rapsession conversation in a situation where feelings can be expressed and criticized or supported
subtype: #table_talk__tabletalk conversation during a meal
subtype: #telephone_conversation__telephoneconversation a conversation over the telephone
subtype: #tete-a-tete a private conversation between two people
subtype: #pillow_talk intimate conversation between lovers (typically occurring in bed)
subtype: #give-and-take__discussion__word an exchange of views on some topic; "we had a good discussion"; "we had a word or two about it"
subtype: #debate__argument a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal; "the argument over foreign aid goes on and on"
subtype: #deliberation (usually plural) discussion of all sides of a question; "the deliberations of the jury"
subtype: #group_discussion__groupdiscussion__conference a discussion among participants who have an agreed (serious) topic
subtype: #bull_session (informal) an informal discussion (usually among men)
subtype: #colloquy.group_discussion a conversation especially a formal one
subtype: #consultation a conference between two or more people to consider a particular question; "frequent consultations with his lawyer"; "a consultation of several medical specialists"
subtype: #sidebar.consultation (law) a courtroom conference between the lawyers and the judge in a trial that is held out of the jury's hearing
subtype: #consultation.group_discussion__audience__interview a conference (usually with someone important); "he had a consultation with the judge"; "he requested an audience with the king"
subtype: #powwow__huddle (informal) a quick private conference
subtype: #press_conference__pressconference__newsconference a conference at which press and tv reporters ask questions of a politician or other celebrity
subtype: #backgrounder a press conference or interview in which a government official explains to reporters the background of an action or policy; "the secretary gave us a backgrounder on public health issues"
subtype: #pretrial_conference__pretrial (law) a conference held before the trial begins to bring the parties together to outline discovery proceedings and to define the issues to be tried; more useful in civil than in criminal cases
subtype: #round_table__roundtable__roundtable__round-table_conference__roundtableconference a meeting of peers for discussion and exchange of views; "a roundtable on the future of computing"
subtype: #session a meeting for execution of a group's functions; "it was the opening session of the legislature"
subtype: #sitting.session a session as of a legislature or court
subtype: #clinic.session meeting for diagnosis of problems and instruction or remedial work in a particular activity
subtype: #reading_clinic__readingclinic a clinic for people with reading disabilities
subtype: #basketball_clinic a meeting at which basketball players receive special evaluation and instruction
subtype: #baseball_clinic a meeting at which baseball players receive special evaluation and instruction; "a summer baseball clinic for promising young players"
subtype: #hockey_clinic a meeting at which hockey players receive special evaluation and instruction
subtype: #executive_session__executivesession__closed_session a session (usually of a legislative body) that is closed to the public
subtype: #hearing.session a session (of a committee or grand jury) in which witnesses are called and testimony is taken; "the investigative committee will hold hearings in Chicago"
subtype: #confirmation_hearing a hearing held by the U.S. senate to gather information on which to approve or reject candidates for high federal office that are nominated by the president
subtype: #special_session__specialsession a session that is held in addition to the regular sessions
subtype: #tutorial a session of intensive tuition given by a tutor to an individual or to a small number of students
subtype: #teach-in__teachin an extended session (as on a college campus) for lectures and discussion on an important and usually controversial issue
subtype: #teleconference__teleconferencing a conference of people who are in different locations that is made possible by the use of such telecommunications equipment as closed-circuit television
subtype: #panel_discussion__paneldiscussion discussion of a subject of public interest by a group of persons forming a panel usually before an audience
subtype: #postmortem discussion of an event after it has occurred
subtype: #negotiation__dialogue__talks__talk a discussion intended to produce an agreement; "the buyout negotiation lasted several days"; "they disagreed but kept an open dialogue"; "talks between Israelis and Palestinians"
subtype: #parley a negotiation between enemies
subtype: #diplomatic_negotiations__diplomacy negotiation between nations
subtype: #dollar_diplomacy diplomacy influenced by economic considerations
subtype: #power_politics__gunboat_diplomacy diplomacy in which the nations threaten to use force in order to obtain their objectives
subtype: #shuttle_diplomacy__shuttlediplomacy international negotiations conducted by a mediator who frequently flies back and forth between the negotiating parties; "Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East"
subtype: #Strategic_Arms_Limitation_Talks__SALT negotiations between the US and the USSR opened in 1969 in Helsinki designed to limit both countries' stock of nuclear weapons
subtype: #bargaining the negotiation of the terms of a transaction or agreement
subtype: #plea_bargaining (criminal law) a negotiation in which the defendant agrees to enter a plea of guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor agrees to drop a more serious charge
subtype: #haggle__haggling__wrangle__wrangling an instance of intense argument (as in bargaining)
subtype: #holdout.bargaining a refusal by a negotiator to come to terms in the hope of obtaining a better deal
subtype: #collective_bargaining negotiation between an employer and trade union
subtype: #horse_trading__horsetrading negotiation accompanied by mutual concessions and shrewd bargaining
subtype: #mediation__arbitration negotiation to resolve differences conducted by some impartial party
subtype: #umpirage mediation by an umpire
subtype: #saying__expression__locution a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations; "pardon the expression"
subtype: #Beatitude one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with `beatus' (blessed); "her favorite Beatitude is `Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth'"
subtype: #logion a saying of Jesus that is regarded as authentic although it is not recorded in the Gospels
subtype: #calque__loan_translation an expression introduced into one language by translating it from another language
subtype: #ambiguity an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context
subtype: #loophole an ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation
subtype: #amphibology__amphiboly an ambiguous grammatical construction; e.g., `they are flying planes' can mean either that someone is flying planes or that something is flying planes
subtype: #parisology the use of ambiguous words
subtype: #double_entendre an ambiguity with one interpretation that is indelicate
subtype: #euphemism an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive
subtype: #blank.euphemism a substitute for a taboo word; "I hit the blank blank car"
subtype: #darn a euphemism for `damn'
subtype: #heck a euphemism for `hell'; "Oh what the heck"
subtype: #shucks an expression of disappointment or irritation
subtype: #tongue_twister an expression that is difficult to articulate clearly; "`rubber baby buggy bumper' is a tongue twister"
subtype: #anatomical_reference__anatomical an expression that relates to anatomy
subtype: #southernism a locution or pronunciation peculiar to the southern United States
subtype: #motto__slogan__catchword__shibboleth a favorite saying of a sect or political group
subtype: #catchphrase__catch_phrase__catchphrase a phrase that has become a catchword
subtype: #war_cry__warcry__rallying_cry__battle_cry__cry a slogan used to rally support for a cause; "a cry to arms"
subtype: #maxim__axiom a saying that widely accepted on its own merits
subtype: #aphorism__apothegm__apophthegm a short pithy instructive saying
subtype: #gnome a short pithy saying expressing a general truth
subtype: #Murphy's_Law humorous axiom stating that anything that can go wrong will go wrong
subtype: #moralism.maxim a moral maxim
subtype: #epigram__quip a witty saying
subtype: #proverb__adage__saw a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people
subtype: #phrasal_idiom__phrasalidiom__idiom__idiomatic_expression__idiomaticexpression__set_phrase__setphrase__phrase an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up
subtype: #agrapha sayings of Jesus not recorded in the canonical Gospels
subtype: #non-standard_speech speech that differs from the usual accepted easily-recognizable speech of native adult members of a speech community
subtype: #baby_talk__babytalk the developing speech of a young child
subtype: #motherese__baby_talk__babytalk an adult's imitation of the speech of a young child
subtype: #dialect__idiom__accent the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people; "the immigrants spoke an odd dialect of English"; "he has a strong German accent"
subtype: #patois a regional dialect of a language (especially French); usually considered substandard
subtype: #localism a phrase or pronunciation that is peculiar to a particular locality
subtype: #telegraphese language characterized by terseness and ellipsis as in telegrams
subtype: #vernacular the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language)
subtype: #lingo__jargon__slang__patois__vernacular a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves); "they don't speak our lingo"
subtype: #rhyming_slang__rhymingslang slang that replaces words with rhyming words or expressions and then typically omits the rhyming component; "Cockney rhyming slang"
subtype: #slang informal language consisting of words and expressions that are not considered appropriate for formal occasions; often vituperative or vulgar; "their speech was full of slang expressions"
subtype: #idiolect the language or speech of one individual at a particular period in life
subtype: #monologue.speech_communication a long utterance by one person (especially one that prevents others from participating in the conversation)
subtype: #magic_spell__magicspell__spell__charm a verbal formula believed to have magical force; "he whispered a spell as he moved his hands"; "inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese"
subtype: #incantation a ritual recitation of magical words or sounds
subtype: #hex__jinx__curse an evil spell; "a witch put a curse on his whole family"
subtype: #dictation speech intended for reproduction in writing
subtype: #soliloquy.speech_communication__monologue speech you make to yourself
No statement uses or specializes #speech_communication; click here to add one.
119 categories printed