diction

Borrowed from Latin dictiō, dictiōnis, from dictus, past participle of dicere (“to speak”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, point out”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɪkʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ɪkʃən

diction (countable and uncountable, plural dictions)

1. Choice and use of words, especially with regard to effective communication.
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. (theater) Enunciation, pronunciation.

• dictate
• dictionary

• enunciation

• diction at OneLook Dictionary Search
• diction in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911

From Latin dictiō, dictiōnis, from dictus, past participle of dicere (“to speak”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, point out”).

• IPA^(key): /dik.sjɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

diction f (plural dictions)

1. diction (clarity of word choice)

• “diction”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.