Oratorial

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the art or practice of giving formal speeches in public
2. Connected with the skill and style involved in delivering speeches before an audience
3. Referring to eloquent or persuasive spoken presentations, especially in public settings

Etymology: "Oratorial" is the adjective form of "oratory," but it has a second suffix layered on top. Its core is the Latin "ōrātōrius," meaning "of or belonging to an orator," built from "ōrātor" (speaker, pleader) and the adjectival ending "-ōrius." English then added its own "-al," a suffix that turns adjectives of Latin origin into near-synonyms with a slightly looser, more everyday tone. Writers using "oratorial" are therefore doubling up on the same idea: "oratorical" already names the quality of public speaking, and "oratorial" simply echoes it through a parallel formation. The result is a pair of near-twins. Dictionaries record both, and the shorter-established "oratorical" has been the more common choice for most of the word's life, which leaves "oratorial" as a less frequent variant with the same sense and the same Latin base.

Synonyms: rhetorical, eloquent