diction
/ˈdɪk.ʃən/ noun
Forms dictions
- noun 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”
- noun (theater) Enunciation, pronunciation, or both.
Synonyms
enunciation wording phrasing phraseology choice of words verbiage
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Choice of words for the expression of ideas; the construction, disposition, and application of words in discourse, with regard to clearness, accuracy, variety, etc.; mode of expression; language; as, the diction of Chaucer's poems.
Etymology [L. dicto a saying, a word, fr. dicere, dictum, to say; akin to dicare to proclaim, and to E. teach, token: cf. F. diction. See Teach, and cf. Benison, Dedicate, Index, Judge, Preach, Vengeance.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “diction”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details