Outvoicing

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The act of expressing something more prominently than another
2. A method of emphasizing one's voice or message over competing sounds
3. The process of vocalizing in a way that surpasses the volume or clarity of others

Etymology: "Outvoicing" is the present participle and gerund of "outvoice," a verb formed in English by attaching the prefix "out-" to "voice." The prefix carries the sense of surpassing or exceeding, so "outvoice" means to voice something more loudly or forcefully than another. Its meaning follows directly from its parts: "voice" in the sense of speaking or expressing an opinion, and "out-" meaning beyond or more than. The "-ing" ending turns the verb into a participle or gerund, so "outvoicing" can name the act itself, as in describing one speaker's dominance over another in a debate. Because the word is a plain compound of two common English elements, there is no older foreign source or dramatic shift in meaning to trace; its history is simply the combination of these two parts.

Synonyms: voicing, pronouncing, enunciating

Antonyms: devoicing