Added 9 October 2026
diction
/ˈdɪk.ʃən/ noun
In Latin: dictio, eloquium Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about diction at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Choice and use of words, especially with regard to effective communication; the effectiveness and degree of clarity of word choice and expression.
the identification of the poetic impulse with sonorous diction
- Enunciation, pronunciation, or both.
Origin
From late Middle English diccion (“something said; a word or phrase”) (an obsolete sense in Modern English), borrowed directly from Latin dictiō (“a saying, speaking, uttering”) or from Old French dicïon (“word”) (Anglo-Norman dictyoun), from Late Latin dictiō (“word”), both from dīcō (“to say, to talk”) + -tiō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, to point out”). The modern senses of “choice and use of words” and “clarity of word choice” were likely influenced by additional senses of dictiō.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)