Word
articulate
Phoneticsar·tic·u·late, stress on the second syllable
/ɑɹˈtɪkjəˌɫeɪt/
Definitions
01to express ideas
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to put your thoughts or feelings into clear words so others understand them.
v. to formulate and express an idea, theory, or feeling fluently and coherently.
“It can be hard to articulate exactly why you feel nervous before a big speech.”
“The CEO struggled to articulate a clear vision for the company's future during the emergency board meeting.”
Usage
Often used with a direct object representing an abstract concept like a 'vision', 'need', or 'feeling'.
02to connect with joints
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical
v. to connect two parts together with a joint so they can move.
v. to form a joint or connect by joints; to build something so that it can bend at specific intervals.
“The robot's arm is designed to articulate at the shoulder and elbow.”
“The skeletal remains show where the femur articulates with the pelvis, providing clues about how the creature moved.”
Usage
In anatomy, it often takes the preposition 'with'.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “articulate” in context.
Adverb
01. clearly articulate
“The candidate was able to clearly articulate her vision for the company's future during the interview.”
adv + verb
Real-World Examples
“Helping young children name their emotions and describing a given situation can help them develop the vocabulary to articulate their feelings.” “Yet still incontrovertibly very good, for reasons that have long been internalised but which still feel hard to articulate.” Etymology
The adjective is first attested in 1531, the verb in 1551; borrowed from Latin articulātus (“distinct, articulated, jointed”), perfect passive participle of articulō, see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/articulate