1
: one who delivers an oration
The orator delivered the funeral oration at the cathedral.
2
: one distinguished for skill and power as a public speaker
is a masterly orator, able to reduce a throng of thousands to a hushed silence—
Raymond Bonner
Raymond Bonner
Examples of orator in a Sentence
though a brilliant wordsmith, Thomas Jefferson was by his own admission an unskilled orator
Recent Examples on the Web
Edward Everett Speeches of President Lincoln, Mr. Seward and Governor Seymour
Most of us are unaware that the nation’s most celebrated orator, Edward Everett of Massachusetts, delivered the main address that Thursday afternoon.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2024
The Bidens then joined other international leaders on Omaha Beach for an international service commemorating the operation, listening to orators read the letters of those who landed on the beach.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 6 June 2024
Douglass spent a considerable amount of time in the area enslaved, beginning as a boy of 8 years old, before escaping slavery as a young man to become a legendary orator who spoke truth to power.
—Kevin Shird, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2024
Faustine’s stance exudes the confidence of a public orator, Morris explained, while monumentalizing the place where White people sold her ancestors.
—Briana Ellis-Gibbs, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for orator 
Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2024
The Bidens then joined other international leaders on Omaha Beach for an international service commemorating the operation, listening to orators read the letters of those who landed on the beach.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 6 June 2024
Douglass spent a considerable amount of time in the area enslaved, beginning as a boy of 8 years old, before escaping slavery as a young man to become a legendary orator who spoke truth to power.
—Kevin Shird, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2024
Faustine’s stance exudes the confidence of a public orator, Morris explained, while monumentalizing the place where White people sold her ancestors.
—Briana Ellis-Gibbs, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for orator
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near orator
Cite this Entry
“Orator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orator. Accessed 11 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
orator
noun
or·a·tor
ˈȯr-ət-ər 
ˈär-
: a public speaker noted for skill and power in speaking
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