Verbalists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person skilled in the art of using words, particularly in conversation or rhetoric
2. Someone who expresses thoughts and ideas effectively through spoken or written language
3. An individual who is adept at manipulating language for persuasion or artistic expression

Etymology: "Verbalists" is the plural of "verbalist," a noun formed by adding the suffix "-ist" to "verbal." The suffix, borrowed through French and ultimately from Greek "-istēs," marks a person who practises or is skilled in something, as in "pianist" or "novelist." "Verbal" itself comes from Late Latin "verbalis," meaning relating to words, from Latin "verbum," word. So a verbalist is, quite literally, someone who works with words, and the term follows the same pattern as "linguist" or "novelist."