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How to Write a Definition Speech

Organizational Methods for Writing a Speech

A writer chooses what speech to write based on how they want to reach their audience. While some speeches are meant to entertain, others are meant to persuade or inform. A definition speech is written to inform the audience by describing and explaining an object or concept. You might be called upon to deliver such a speech at your place of employment, for example, in order to describe a new business strategy. Or, you may be required to define a new initiative to help a worthy cause in your community. But, before you get to that point, you may first have to write a definition speech as part of a school assignment. Writing a definition speech isn't too difficult if you just follow some basic guidelines.

Create Your Purpose Statement

The first step in writing a definition speech is to write a purpose statement that indicates the direction the speech will take and focuses on its main goal. For example, if you intend to describe the school of philosophical thought known as "transcendentalism," the purpose of your speech might be stated as "to define the meaning of the term transcendentalism and describe its major tenets."

Emphasize the Central Idea

Next, you must state the central idea, which is akin to the thesis statement in an essay and consists of a complete sentence that expresses the main idea or ideas you intend to make. For example, you might say, "Transcendentalism is a philosophy that proposes that man can discover the nature of reality through thought and spiritual intuition, and its tenets were embraced by such 19th century writers as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson."

Put Together the Introduction

Once you've written your purpose statement and determined the central idea of the speech, it's time to write the introduction, never forgetting the importance of first impressions. What you initially say either can immediately grab the audience's attention, or make everyone sigh in boredom. According to Stephen E. Lucus, author of "The Art of Public Speaking," you should get the audience's attention by revealing the topic of your speech, establishing your credibility and goodwill, and previewing the main points you intend to make.

Construct the Body of the Speech

After the introduction is complete, you can then start writing the body of the speech. Since you will have only a certain amount of time in which to deliver the speech, you cannot relate all the facts about a chosen topic. Decide which information is most important and how it will be presented. Begin with a general definition of the object or concept, then explain the major ideas or elements. Provide several illustrations or examples. End the speech by summarizing the main points and/or providing the listeners with sources for additional information. Before writing the body, remember that if you are going to use terms, words, or acronyms that are unfamiliar to the audience, provide the definitions.

Wrap It Up With a Strong Conclusion

To finish off your definition speech, you'll need to write a strong conclusion. Do not end with an abrupt statement such as "this concludes my speech" or "well, that's all I have to say on the topic." Instead, summarize the main ideas that you presented, reinforce the audience's understanding of those ideas and refer back to the central idea that was presented in the introduction. Depending upon the topic of the speech, you might also end with a personal anecdote, appropriate joke or a dramatic statement to leave everyone with something to think about.

Things to Keep in Mind

If you are a student and free to choose your own topic, remember that since a definition speech describes or explains an object or concept, you must select a topic that fits this category. However, as long as the object or concept is open to a description and/or explanation, it is usually appropriate for a definition speech.

When giving the speech, you may also decide to incorporate visual aids to help make your message clearer. Visual aides reinforce concepts, generate interest and capture the audience's attention. The visual aids you use will depend on your topic. For instance, if you are defining a neurotransmitter, present photos or other images on a PowerPoint slideshow. List the main points using bullets or numbers to call the audience's attention to each point as you progress through the speech. Before using visual aids, be sure to ask your professor whether or not they are permitted.

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Effective Persuasive Speech Writing & Delivering in High School

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Speeches
• Academic Help: Writing a Definition Essay
• If you are a student and free to choose your own topic, remember that since a definition speech describes or explains an object or concept, you must select a topic that fits this category. However, as long as the object or concept is open to description and/or explanation, it is usually appropriate for a definition speech.
• If you are going to use terms, words, or acronyms that are unfamiliar to the audience, provide the definitions.
• Use visual aids to help make a speaker's message clearer. Visual aides reinforce concepts, generate interest and capture the audience's attention. The visual aids you use will depends on your topic. For instance, if you are defining a neurotransmitter, present photos or other images on a PowerPoint slideshow. List the main points using bullets or numbers to call the audience's attention to each point as you progress through the speech.

A college instructor for more than 14 years, Carol Rzadkiewicz earned a Master of Arts from the University of West Georgia. She is also a freelance writer and author of three published novels, and her work has appeared in such print publications as “Predicate Magazine” and “The New Review."

Persuasive Speeches — Types, Topics, and Examples

What is a persuasive speech.

In a persuasive speech, the speaker aims to convince the audience to accept a particular perspective on a person, place, object, idea, etc. The speaker strives to cause the audience to accept the point of view presented in the speech.

The success of a persuasive speech often relies on the speaker’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos is the speaker’s credibility. Audiences are more likely to accept an argument if they find the speaker trustworthy. To establish credibility during a persuasive speech, speakers can do the following:

Use familiar language.

Select examples that connect to the specific audience.

Utilize credible and well-known sources.

Logically structure the speech in an audience-friendly way.

Use appropriate eye contact, volume, pacing, and inflection.

Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions. Speakers who create an emotional bond with their audience are typically more convincing. Tapping into the audience’s emotions can be accomplished through the following:

Select evidence that can elicit an emotional response.

Use emotionally-charged words. (The city has a problem … vs. The city has a disease …)

Incorporate analogies and metaphors that connect to a specific emotion to draw a parallel between the reference and topic.

Utilize vivid imagery and sensory words, allowing the audience to visualize the information.

Employ an appropriate tone, inflection, and pace to reflect the emotion.

Logos appeals to the audience’s logic by offering supporting evidence. Speakers can improve their logical appeal in the following ways:

Use comprehensive evidence the audience can understand.

Confirm the evidence logically supports the argument’s claims and stems from credible sources.

Ensure that evidence is specific and avoid any vague or questionable information.

Types of persuasive speeches

The three main types of persuasive speeches are factual, value, and policy.

A factual persuasive speech focuses solely on factual information to prove the existence or absence of something through substantial proof. This is the only type of persuasive speech that exclusively uses objective information rather than subjective. As such, the argument does not rely on the speaker’s interpretation of the information. Essentially, a factual persuasive speech includes historical controversy, a question of current existence, or a prediction:

Historical controversy concerns whether an event happened or whether an object actually existed.

Questions of current existence involve the knowledge that something is currently happening.

Predictions incorporate the analysis of patterns to convince the audience that an event will happen again.

A value persuasive speech concerns the morality of a certain topic. Speakers incorporate facts within these speeches; however, the speaker’s interpretation of those facts creates the argument. These speeches are highly subjective, so the argument cannot be proven to be absolutely true or false.

A policy persuasive speech centers around the speaker’s support or rejection of a public policy, rule, or law. Much like a value speech, speakers provide evidence supporting their viewpoint; however, they provide subjective conclusions based on the facts they provide.

How to write a persuasive speech

Incorporate the following steps when writing a persuasive speech:

Step 1 – Identify the type of persuasive speech (factual, value, or policy) that will help accomplish the goal of the presentation.

Step 2 – Select a good persuasive speech topic to accomplish the goal and choose a position .

Step 3 – Locate credible and reliable sources and identify evidence in support of the topic/position. Revisit Step 2 if there is a lack of relevant resources.

Step 4 – Identify the audience and understand their baseline attitude about the topic.

Step 5 – When constructing an introduction , keep the following questions in mind:

What’s the topic of the speech?

What’s the occasion?

Who’s the audience?

What’s the purpose of the speech?

Step 6 – Utilize the evidence within the previously identified sources to construct the body of the speech. Keeping the audience in mind, determine which pieces of evidence can best help develop the argument. Discuss each point in detail, allowing the audience to understand how the facts support the perspective.

Step 7 – Addressing counterarguments can help speakers build their credibility, as it highlights their breadth of knowledge.

Step 8 – Conclude the speech with an overview of the central purpose and how the main ideas identified in the body support the overall argument.

Persuasive speech outline

One of the best ways to prepare a great persuasive speech is by using an outline. When structuring an outline, include an introduction, body, and conclusion:

Introduction

Attention Grabbers

Ask a question that allows the audience to respond in a non-verbal way; ask a rhetorical question that makes the audience think of the topic without requiring a response.

Incorporate a well-known quote that introduces the topic. Using the words of a celebrated individual gives credibility and authority to the information in the speech.

Offer a startling statement or information about the topic, typically done using data or statistics.

Provide a brief anecdote or story that relates to the topic.

Starting a speech with a humorous statement often makes the audience more comfortable with the speaker.

Provide information on how the selected topic may impact the audience .

Include any background information pertinent to the topic that the audience needs to know to understand the speech in its entirety.

Give the thesis statement in connection to the main topic and identify the main ideas that will help accomplish the central purpose.

Identify evidence

Summarize its meaning

Explain how it helps prove the support/main claim

Evidence 3 (Continue as needed)

Support 3 (Continue as needed)

Restate thesis

Review main supports

Concluding statement

Give the audience a call to action to do something specific.

Identify the overall importan ce of the topic and position.

Persuasive speech topics

The following table identifies some common or interesting persuasive speech topics for high school and college students:

Persuasive speech examples

The following list identifies some of history’s most famous persuasive speeches:

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You”

Lyndon B. Johnson: “We Shall Overcome”

Marc Antony: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen…” in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Ronald Reagan: “Tear Down this Wall”

Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Intonation Definition and Examples in Speech

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In speech ,  intonation is the use of changing (rising and falling) vocal pitch to convey grammatical information or personal attitude. Intonation is particularly important in expressing questions in spoken English . For example, take the sentence, "When does the meeting start?" The word "start"—including the question mark—rises up or comes up in your voice when you utter the word, notes the website  English Pronunciation Roadmap .

The Musicality of Language

Intonation is the melody or music of a language, says David Crystal, author of "A Little Book of Language." Intonation refers to the way your voice rises and falls as you speak, as in,

"It's raining, isn't it? (or 'innit,' perhaps)"

In this sentence, you're not really asking a question: You're  telling  the listener that it's raining, so you give your speech a "telling" melody. The pitch-level of your voice falls and you sound as if you know what you're talking about, and of course, you do, so you're making a statement. But now imagine that you  don't  know if it's raining, says Crystal. You think there might be a shower outside, but you're unsure, so you ask someone to check. You use the same words, but the musicality of your voice makes a different point, as in,

"It's raining, isn't it?"

Now you're  asking  the person, so you give your speech an "asking" melody, says Crystal. The pitch-level of your voice rises, and you sound as if you're asking a question.

Pitch and Chunking

To understand intonation, it's important to comprehend two of its key terms: pitch and chunking.  Encyclopaedia Britannica  notes that pitch is,

" the relative highness or lowness of a tone as perceived by the ear, which depends on the number of vibrations per second produced by the vocal cords."

Everyone has different levels of the pitch in their voice, notes Study.com:

"Though some are more prone to a higher pitch and some to a lower pitch, we can all change our timbre depending on who we are talking to and why."

Timbre  refers to the quality of sound that distinguishes one voice or musical instrument from another or one vowel sound from another: It is determined by the harmonics of the sound. Pitch, then, refers to the musicality of your voice and how you use that musicality or timbre to convey meaning.

Chunking—and pausing—meanwhile packages information for the listener, says the University of Technology (UTS)  in Sydney, adding that speakers divide speech into chunks, which may be single words or groups of words to communicate a thought or idea, or to focus on information the speaker thinks is important. UTS gives the following example of chunking:

"Does it really matter whether people speak with an accent as long as they can be easily understood?"

This sentence breaks into the following "chunks":

"Does it really matter / whether people speak with an accent / as long as they can be easily understood?" //

In this example, in each chunk, your pitch would be slightly different to better convey your meaning to the listener. Your voice, essentially, rises and falls in each "chunk."

Types of Intonation

Another key point about intonation involves the rising and falling of your voice. Just as a musical instrument rises and falls in its tone as an accomplished player creates a melody to convey a sense of mood, your voice rises and falls in a similar melodic way to create a sense of meaning. Take this example from an article by Russell Banks, in an article called "Adultery," which was published in the April/May 1986 issue of Mother Jones .

"I mean, what the hell? Right?"

The speaker's voice rises and falls in the separate chunks in these two brief sentences, as follows;

"I mean / What the hell? / Right?" //

As the speaker says the first chunk—"I mean"—the voice falls. Then, during the second phrase—"What the heck?"—the voice rises, almost like climbing a melodic ladder with each word. The speaker does this to express outrage. Then, with one the last word—"Right?"—the speaker's voice climbs even higher, similar to hitting the elusive high C in music. This is almost like pushing the sentence to the listener—handing it off if you will—so that the listener will agree with the speaker. (If the listener does not agree, an argument is likely to follow.)

And, in the article, the listener  does  indeed agree with the speaker, by responding with,

"Yes, right."

The response is spoken with falling intonation, almost as if the listener is giving in and accepting the dictate of the speaker. By the end of the word "right," the responder's voice has dropped so much it's almost as if the person is giving in.

Put another way, intonation is the process of chunking statements (and responses), to deliver packages of meaning. Generally, the initial statement (often a question), may rise and fall in tone, but it generally rises at the end, as the speaker passes off the sentence or question to the listener. And, just as with a musical piece that starts quietly, and crescendos in sound and timber, the tone or sound of the response falls as if the responder is bringing the discussion to a quiet ending, just as a melody quietly comes to a soft finish at the end.

• Intonation Contour in English Speech
• Intonation Phrases in Phonetics
• Speech Patterns: Uptalking
• Nonrestrictive Relative Clause
• Language Acquisition in Children
• Suprasegmental Definition and Examples
• An Introduction to Declarative Questions
• Dubitatio as a Rhetorical Strategy
• Indirect Question: Definition and Examples
• Illocutionary Force in Speech Theory
• Definition and Examples of Subvocalizing
• What Are Utterances in English (Speech)?
• Definition and Examples of Baby Talk or Caregiver Speech
• Sentence Definition and Examples in English Grammar
• Echo Question in Language
• Definition and Examples of Hypocrisis in Rhetoric

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• Parts of speech
• What Is an Interjection? | Examples, Definition & Types

What Is an Interjection? | Examples, Definition & Types

Published on September 29, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on November 16, 2022.

An interjection is a word or phrase used to express a feeling or to request or demand something. While interjections are a part of speech , they are not grammatically connected to other parts of a sentence.

Interjections are common in everyday speech and informal writing. While some interjections such as “well” and “indeed” are acceptable in formal conversation, it’s best to avoid interjections in formal or academic writing .

Uh-oh . I forgot to get gas.

We’re not lost. We just need to go, um , this way.

Table of contents

How are interjections used in sentences.

• Primary interjections
• Secondary interjections
• Volitive interjections
• Emotive interjections
• Cognitive interjections

Greetings and parting words

Interjections and punctuation, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions.

Interjections add meaning to a sentence or context by expressing a feeling, making a demand, or emphasizing a thought.

Interjections can be either a single word or a phrase, and they can be used on their own or as part of a sentence.

Shoot , I’ve broken a nail.

As interjections are a grammatically independent part of speech, they can often be excluded from a sentence without impacting its meaning.

• Oh boy , I’m tired.
• Ouch ! That hurts!
• That hurts!

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A primary interjection is a word or sound that can only be used as an interjection. Primary interjections do not have alternative meanings and can’t function as another part of speech (i.e., noun , verb , or adjective ).

Primary interjections are typically just sounds without a clear etymology. As such, while they sometimes have standard spellings, a single interjection may be written in different ways (e.g., “um-hum” or “mm-hmm”).

Um-hum . I think that could work.

A secondary interjection is a word that is typically used as another part of speech (such as a noun , verb , or adjective ) that can also be used as an interjection.

Shoot ! My flight has been canceled.

A volitive interjection is used to give a command or make a request. For example, the volitive interjection “shh” or “shush” is used to command someone to be quiet.

Psst . Pass me an eraser.

An emotive interjection is used to express an emotion or to indicate a reaction to something. For example, the emotive interjection “ew” is used to express disgust.

Curse words, also called expletives, are commonly used (in informal contexts) as emotive interjections to express frustration or anger.

Yay ! I’m so excited to see you.

A cognitive interjection is used to express a thought or indicate a thought process. For example, the cognitive interjection “um” can express confusion or indicate that the speaker is thinking.

Wow ! I wasn’t expecting that.

Greetings and parting words/phrases are interjections used to acknowledge or welcome someone or to express good wishes at the end of a conversation.

Hello ! It’s good to see you.

How an interjection is punctuated depends on the context and the intensity of the emotion or thought being expressed.

Exclamation points are most commonly used along with interjections to emphasize the intensity of an emotion, thought, or demand.

When the emotion or thought being expressed is less extreme, an interjection can also be followed by a period. If an interjection is used to express uncertainty or to ask a question, it should be followed by a question mark .

We’ve just won the lottery. Hurray !

When an interjection is used as part of a sentence, it should be set off from the rest of the sentence using commas .

It was an interesting lecture, indeed .

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Collective nouns
• Personal pronouns
• First-person pronouns
• Second-person pronouns
• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Types of verbs
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement
• Prepositions
• Determiners

There are numerous ways to categorize interjections into various types. The main types of interjections are:

• Greetings and parting words/phrases

Interjections are often followed by exclamation points to emphasize the intensity of an emotion, thought, or demand (e.g., “ Whoa !”).

An interjection can also be followed by a period or a comma when the emotion or thought being expressed is less intense (e.g., “Oh. I didn’t know that.”).

An interjection can have different meanings depending on how it is used. Some common interjections, along with an explanation of how they are commonly used, are listed below.

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Ryan, E. (2022, November 16). What Is an Interjection? | Examples, Definition & Types. Scribbr. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/parts-of-speech/interjections/

Aarts, B. (2011).  Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015).  Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage  (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016).  Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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Meaning of speech – Learner’s Dictionary

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speech noun ( SAY WORDS )

• The article discusses different types of speech defect .
• Hearing the speech of others is a good way to learn the language .
• She is studying children's speech development .
• Lip reading enables her to understand the speech of another without hearing the words.
• The phonetic alphabet represents speech sounds symbolically .

speech noun ( PUBLIC TALK )

(Definition of speech from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of speech

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scientific methods of solving crimes, that involve examining objects or substances related to a crime

Treasure troves and endless supplies (Words and phrases meaning ‘source’)

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How to Write a Dictionary Definition

Last Updated: March 25, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Annaliese Dunne . Annaliese Dunne is a Middle School English Teacher. With over 10 years of teaching experience, her areas of expertise include writing and grammar instruction, as well as teaching reading comprehension. She is also an experienced freelance writer. She received her Bachelor's degree in English. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 228,968 times.

Whether you're compiling a glossary, writing a dictionary, or simply trying to sound official to play a dictionary bluffing game or to define your own made-up words , here are a few ideas to make your definitions as helpful and as powerful as they should be.

1. Identify the languages involved and the direction of translation (e.g., English to Spanish)

2. Compile a list of words or phrases you want to translate.

3. Pair each word or phrase with its equivalent in the target language.

4. Organize the entries alphabetically by the source language.

5. Consider including pronunciation guides or phonetic spellings if helpful.

6. Verify the accuracy of translations through reputable sources or native speakers.

7. Format the entries consistently for clarity and ease of use.

8. Consider adding contextual information or usage notes if necessary.

9. Proofread and edit your dictionary for accuracy.

10. Publish your translation dictionary in a format suitable for your audience, such as print or digital.

These steps are appropriate for a descriptive definition of how a term is actually used. Note that this is a more demanding process than writing a prescriptive definition, such as one defining how an author will use a term in a document.

• Noun : A person, place, or thing: Utah, minivan, moon, grocer, January. Nouns can also be ideas, such as "confidence" or "hesitation".
• Pronoun : A word that takes the place of a noun. He, she, it, they.
• Verb : An action word. Go, jump, harangue, grill, gaze, ponder, hurry.
• Adjective : A word that describes, or modifies, a noun. A red hat, a slow train, a precarious ledge.
• Adverb : A word that modifies a verb or an adjective. He landed painfully and rose slowly . The train was ridiculously slow.
• Conjunction : A word that joins two independent clauses. In English, these include and, or, for, nor, but, yet, and so.
• Preposition : This describes the location of something. On, above, under, to, into, at, during, inside.
• Interjection : An exclamation, often with no grammatical relation to the rest of the sentence. For example: Wow, hey, yikes, abracadabra, ouch, hmm, oh boy!

• If the word has a range of meanings, you'll need to address each one separately.

• moxie - Gumption; pluck; chutzpah.
• moxie - Bold determination; strength or fortitude.

• Most verb definitions will begin with the word "to". For instance, a definition for the verb "pause" might read, "To stop briefly or temporarily; to interrupt a process or activity and later resume it."
• Noun definitions may begin with the words "a", "an" or "the".

Community Q&A

• Have a look at the etymology of the word, too. Do you know what a kibosh (as in "put the kibosh on") was? What did it originally mean if something fizzled? Sometimes, the etymology can add some perspective to a word's meaning. [7] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Read some entries in a dictionary or glossary and take note of the style in which definitions are written. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Consult other dictionaries to see what they have to say about your word. Synthesizing a selection of other definitions can help you write your own, or help you learn to write your own definitions independently. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• The parts of speech listed in this article are the basic parts of speech for English. Other languages have other parts of speech, and some people distinguish additional parts of speech in English. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Avoid describing the word by what it is not - focus on describing what it is . Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
• If you include an etymology in your dictionary, make sure it is well-researched. Some words and phrases tend to have many "folk etymologies" circulating about them. These are groundless theories, basically guesses about word origins that get passed around without any sort of verification. Do your own research and evaluate carefully whether you can trust a given source. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
• Avoid circular definitions, especially if you are defining multiple words. There is a tendency, when defining words, to circle back to the word or root with which one began. While it may be legitimate to define an adverb in terms of the adjective from which it has grown (for example, ridiculously - in a ridiculous manner ), this sort of definition supposes that the word ridiculous is defined somewhere. Generally, avoid using variations of the word being defined in the definition. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 2

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• ↑ http://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/grammar/parts_of_speech.html
• ↑ https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2017/02/01/transitive-or-intransitive-countable-or-uncountable-what-does-it-all-mean/
• ↑ https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/learn/dictionary-entry.html
• ↑ https://www.cuesta.edu/student/resources/ssc/study_guides/vocabulary/804_vocab_entry.html

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