Dictionary

utterance en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈʌtəɹəns/
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From Middle English utteraunce, outeraunce; equivalent to utter + -ance.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) An act of, or the process of, uttering.
   • at length gave utterance to these words 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
   • July 1857, The Imagination in Mathematics", in The North American Review Mathematics and Poetry are … the utterance of the same power of imagination, only that in the one case it is addressed to the head, in the other, to the heart.
2. (countable, uncountable) An instance of that act or process: especially, something spoken (e.g., syllables, words, phrases); (especially linguistics) any such thing either spoken or written.
   • To know how one should express oneself in saying or judging that there really are falsehoods without getting caught up in contradiction by such an utterance: that's extremely difficult, Theaetetus. 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 237a:
   • And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, “XXVA”, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 203:
3. (countable, uncountable) The ability to speak.
   • Mrs. Weston kissed her with tears of joy; and when she could find utterance, assured her, that this protestation had done her more good than any thing else in the world could do. 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter X, in Emma: […], volume III, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC, page 175:
4. (countable, uncountable) A manner of speaking.
   • [...] O, how frail / To that large utterance of the early Gods! 1818–1819, John Keats, “Hyperion, a Fragment”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, →OCLC, part I, page 148:
   • He has a good utterance.
   • They [...] began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts ii:4:
5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A sale made by offering to the public.
   • The clothemakers[…] had great profite and good utterance of the sayd cloth a. 1564, King Edward IV of England, a royal decree:
6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) An act of putting in circulation.
   • the utterance of false coin, or of forged notes

Forms

Deriveds

utteranced · reutterance · nonutterance · performative utterance

Relateds

utterer · utterable · utter

Synonyms

uttering

Translations (104)

hu hangképzés (manner of speaking) · tr anlatım (something spoken) · hu megnyilatkozás (an act of uttering) · ru ди́кция (manner of speaking) · pt expressão (an act of uttering) · la fatum (something spoken) · bg дар слово (ability to speak) · ta கூற்று (something spoken) · tr telaffuz (manner of speaking) · de Aussprache (manner of speaking) · de Äußerung (an act of uttering) · ru произноше́ние (manner of speaking) · hu kijelentés (something spoken) · tr söyleyiş (manner of speaking) · nl taaluiting (an act of uttering) · fi lausunta (something spoken) · fi puhetaito (ability to speak) · bg изказване (something spoken) · sh iskaz (something spoken) · fi lausunta (an act of uttering) · cs vyřčení (an act of uttering) · bg произношение (manner of speaking) · ru мане́ра говори́ть (manner of speaking) · hu kifejezés (an act of uttering) · cs prohlášení (something spoken) · la fatum (an act of uttering) · pt enunciado (something spoken) · ro vorbire (ability to speak) · cs výrok (something spoken) · ro enunț (something spoken) · es fabla (manner of speaking) · hu nyilatkozat (something spoken) · itk דִיטוֹ (something spoken) · mi tātaku (something spoken) · ru дар ре́чи (ability to speak) · fi puhetapa (manner of speaking) · nn ytring (something spoken) · nl uiting (an act of uttering) · hu megnyilvánulás (something spoken) · de Sprachvermögen (ability to speak) · hu kiejtés (manner of speaking) · cs vyjádření (an act of uttering) · sh iskaz (an act of uttering) · ml ഉച്ചരിക്കൽ (an act of uttering) · fr articulation (an act of uttering) · la eloquium (manner of speaking) · nl taaluiting (something spoken) · fr parole (something spoken) · la eloquium (something spoken) · sh rječitost (ability to speak) · ca parla (manner of speaking) · fr énoncé (something spoken) · ca discurs (something spoken) · ka ნათქვამი (something spoken) · ro vorbire (manner of speaking) · ro rostire (an act of uttering) · ru произнесе́ние (an act of uttering) · sv yttrande (an act of uttering) · pl wypowiedź (something spoken) · ru выска́зывание (an act of uttering) · fr prononciation (an act of uttering) · pt manifestação (an act of uttering) · fr propos (something spoken) · de Äußerung (something spoken) · ru дар сло́ва (ability to speak) · es discurso (something spoken) · ru выраже́ние (something spoken) · bg дикция (manner of speaking) · fr déclaration (something spoken) · ca eloqüència (ability to speak) · egy x:n-G41-A2 (something spoken) · fr émission sonore (an act of uttering) · fr expression (an act of uttering) · ka გამოთქმა (an act of uttering) · mi kīanga (something spoken) · sh dar govora (ability to speak) · la eloquium (ability to speak) · es habla (manner of speaking) · ckb وِتە (something spoken) · bg произнасяне (an act of uttering) · la eloquium (an act of uttering) · ca expressió (an act of uttering) · ca articulació (an act of uttering) · ca enunciat (something spoken) · ka წარმოთქმა (an act of uttering) · ca pronunciació (an act of uttering) · ru выска́зывание (something spoken) · cs prohlášení (an act of uttering) · mi kīanga (an act of uttering) · hu megnyilvánulás (an act of uttering) · ka თქმული (something spoken) · de Sprechfähigkeit (ability to speak) · bg изказване (an act of uttering) · la significatio (an act of uttering) · cs vyjádření (something spoken) · hu szóhoz jutás (ability to speak) · ml ഉച്ചാരണം (an act of uttering) · hu artikuláció (manner of speaking) · hu megnyilatkozás (something spoken) · fi lausuminen (an act of uttering) · tr ifâde (manner of speaking) · ta கூற்று (an act of uttering) · es enunciado (something spoken) · tr söyleme (an act of uttering)

utterance en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈʌtəɹəns/
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From Middle English outraunce, utteraunce, from Old French outrance (see outrance).

Meanings

1. (archaic, literary) The utmost extremity, especially of a fight; bodily harm or death.
   • Among champions and such as strive for the masterie in feats of activitie, we count those for their adversaries and concurrents onely, who professe and practise the same kinde of game or exercise; for those that goe to it with fists and buffers, are commonly friends good enough to such sword-fencers as fight at sharpe to the utterance, and well-willers to the champions called Pancratiastae. 1603, Plutarch, “Of Brotherly Love”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 184:
   • To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! Rather than so, come fate into the list, And champion me to th' utterance. c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
   • Besides, For the most part, the Combate was continued or ended at the discretion of the Prince, or his Substitutes, which also did most commonly part the Duellists, and not suffer them to proceed to the utterance, but pronounced them both good and approved Cavaliers upon the place, which was a token of their prudent affection to preserve noble spirits for better uses. 1659, Thomas Pestell, “A Collection of several mens Discourses and Opinions concerning Duels”, in Sermons and devotions old and new, page 326:

Forms

Synonyms

outrance