What does "articulate" mean?

1. (to express ideas) to put your thoughts or feelings into clear words so others understand them. 2. (to connect with joints) to connect two parts together with a joint so they can move.

How do you use "articulate"?

Often used with a direct object representing an abstract concept like a 'vision', 'need', or 'feeling'. In anatomy, it often takes the preposition 'with'.

articulate

US //ɑɹˈtɪkjəˌɫeɪt// ar·tic·u·late

1 to express ideas (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to put your thoughts or feelings into clear words so others understand them.

to formulate and express an idea, theory, or feeling fluently and coherently.

Example

It can be hard to articulate exactly why you feel nervous before a big speech.

Example

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'.
- voice
- express
- enunciate
- bottle up
- suppress
2 to connect with joints (v.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Science

to connect two parts together with a joint so they can move.

to form a joint or connect by joints; to build something so that it can bend at specific intervals.

Example

The robot's arm is designed to articulate at the shoulder and elbow.

Example

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'.
- disconnect

Origin

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.