adj.
- Endowed with the power of speech.
- Composed of distinct, meaningful syllables or words, as human speech.
- Expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language: an articulate speaker.
- Characterized by the use of clear, expressive language: an articulate essay.
- Anatomy. Consisting of sections united by joints; jointed.
v., -lat·ed, -lat·ing, -lates. (-lāt') v.tr.
- To pronounce distinctly and carefully; enunciate.
- To utter (a speech sound) by making the necessary movements of the speech organs.
- To express in coherent verbal form; give words to: couldn't articulate my fears.
- To fit together into a coherent whole; unify: a plan to articulate nursing programs throughout the state.
- Anatomy. To unite by forming a joint or joints.
- Architecture. To give visible or concrete expression to (the composition of structural elements): a spare design in which windows and doors are barely articulated.
- To speak clearly and distinctly.
- To utter a speech sound.
- Anatomy. To form a joint; be jointed: The thighbone articulates with the bones of the hip.
[Latin articulātus, past participle of articulāre, to divide into joints, utter distinctly, from articulus, small joint. See article.]
articulately ar·tic'u·late·ly adv.articulateness ar·tic'u·late·ness or ar·tic'u·la·cy (-lə-sē) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
