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Definition
the act of or ability of clearly expressing with words; or to clearly express with wordsThe exact meaning of this sense of articulate depends upon its context. For example:
- "She is articulate and persuasive." — well-spoken (expresses her ideas clearly)
- "She articulated what everyone was thinking." — said aloud
- "After the stroke, she had to learn to articulate her consonants." — speak distinctly (so each word can be understood)
Less commonly, articulate can reference jointed segments (including bones). For example:
- "Can she fully articulate the joint?" — move at a joint
- "The articulated bus can be longer without requiring a wider turning radius." — formed with joints to allow movement
- He is thoughtful and articulate.
articulate = has the ability to clearly express things with words
- Alexey Alexandrovitch was speaking so quickly that he stammered, and was utterly unable to articulate the word suffering.Tolstoy, Leo -- Anna Karenina
- Suddenly Mayella became articulate.Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- I have my own ideas, plans and ideals, but am unable to articulate them yet.Anne Frank -- The Diary of a Young Girl
- He was too young to articulate exactly what was wrong with every picture; he just knew they weren't right.Todd Burpo -- Heaven Is for Real
- She kept saying it was an "articulate" film. ... The thing is, I didn't know what it said even if it said it very well.Stephen Chbosky -- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- Yeah, I was so articulate.Sherman Alexie -- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
- Jem became vaguely articulate: " 'd you see him, Scout? d you see him just standin' there?"Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- The Castle of Dracula now stood out against the red sky, and every stone of its broken battlements was articulated against the light of the setting sun.Bram Stoker -- Dracula
- His mouth twitched, and his parched tongue seemed unable to articulate.Wilde, Oscar -- The Picture Of Dorian Gray
- Maximilian tried to speak, but he could articulate nothing; he staggered, and supported himself against the wainscot.Dumas, Alexandre -- The Count of Monte Cristo
- He was quite beside himself, and could hardly articulate his words for rage.Dostoyevsky, Fyodor -- The Idiot
- Love came into the world before articulate speech, and in its own early youth it had learned ways and means that it had never forgotten.London, Jack -- Martin Eden
- Science is nothing but developed perception, interpreted intent, common sense rounded out and minutely articulated.George Santayana
- And then, as he made no articulate reply, "It will be time, I think, to understand each other," I continued.Stevenson, Robert Louis -- Kidnapped
- "Your arguments are too- -er—forcible," I managed to articulate, at cost of great pain to my aching throat.London, Jack -- The Sea Wolf
- The notes are almost articulate.Emerson, Ralph Waldo -- Essays, First Series
- At five months of age he used to get into such passions that he was unable to articulate.Poe, Edgar Allan -- Poems
- Conseil could articulate some words, and I heard him repeat at intervals, "Help"...Verne, Jules -- 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
- And now, sir,' said Venus, 'having prepared your mind in the rough, I will articulate the details.Dickens, Charles -- Our Mutual Friend
articulate = expressive with words
articulate = clearly express
articulate = clearly express
articulate = clearly expressed a message (or messages)
articulate = clear in expressing (himself)
articulate = able to speak
articulated = clearly seen