articulation

UK: /ɑː^rˌtɪkjuˈleɪʃ^ən/

US: /ɑrˌtɪkjəˈleɪʃən/

US: (är tik′yə lā′shən)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ar•tic•u•la•tion /ɑrˌtɪkyəˈleɪʃən/   n. [uncountable]

1. the expressing of an idea in speech or in words:
   Her articulation of the plan was convincing.
2. the act of pronouncing or producing speech sounds:
   the proper articulation of "th'' in English.
3. the act of joining or the state of being joined:
   the articulation of skeletal bones.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ar•tic•u•la•tion  (är tik′yə lā′shən), n. 

1. an act or the process of articulating:
   the articulation of a form; the articulation of a new thought.
2. Phonetics
   • Phonetics the act or process of articulating speech.
   • Phonetics the adjustments and movements of speech organs involved in pronouncing a particular sound, taken as a whole.
   • Phonetics any one of these adjustments and movements.
   • Phonetics any speech sound, esp. a consonant.
3. the act of jointing.
4. a jointed state or formation; a joint.
5. [Bot.]
   • Botany a joint or place between two parts where separation may take place spontaneously, as at the point of attachment of a leaf.
   • Botany a node in a stem, or the space between two nodes.
6. Anatomy, Zoology a joint, as the joining or juncture of bones or of the movable segments of an arthropod.
7. Dentistry
   • Dentistry the positioning of teeth in a denture, usually on an articulator, for correct occlusion.
   • Dentistry the bringing of opposing tooth surfaces into contact with each other.
   • Dentistry the relations of the upper and lower natural or artificial teeth in occlusion.
8. a measure of the effectiveness of a telephonic transmission system in reproducing speech comprehensibly, expressed as the percentage of speech units uttered that is correctly understood.

• Latin articulātiōn-, stem of articulātiō. See articulate, -ion
• Middle French
• late Middle English articulacio(u)n 1400–50

ar•tic•u•la•to•ry  (är tik′yə lə tôr′ē, -tōr′ē), adj.  ar•tic′u•la•to′ri•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

articulation / ɑːˌtɪkjʊˈleɪʃən/ noun

1. the act or process of speaking or expressing in words
2. the process of articulating a speech sound
3. the sound so produced, esp a consonant
4. the act or the state of being jointed together
5. a joint such as that between bones or arthropod segments
6. the way in which jointed parts are connected
7. the part of a plant at which natural separation occurs, such as the joint between leaf and stem