diction
Meanings
noun
- Choice and use of words, especially with regard to effective communication.
- The effectiveness and degree of clarity of word choice and expression.
- Enunciation, pronunciation.
Pronunciation
Word forms
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.
Related words
Derived words
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