Like the word "article," the word "articulate" traces back to the Latin articulus, which means "a part, a joint, or a member." In the most literal sense, to articulate things is to put them into parts, joints, or members. Depending on how you look at it, this process is an act of joining pieces together or splitting them apart.

Slightly less literally, to articulate things can mean to specify them, or to lay them out in separate articles.

Out of those meanings grew the one we use most often today: to articulate things is to say them or write them in a clear, effective way. That verb also grew into an adjective. Articulate people and things are the kind that express ideas in a clear, effective way.

Part of speech:

"Articulate" pronounced "are TICK yuh late" is a verb, the transitive kind: "They articulated their plans."

And "articulate" pronounced "are TICK yuh lutt" is an adjective: "The guest speaker was polished and articulate."

Other forms: 

Articulated, articulating, articulation;
articulately;
inarticulate, inarticulately, inarticulation.

how to use it:

"Articulate" is a formal, serious, common word. It's perfect for describing how people express ideas clearly and concisely, especially when they're listing or classifying many ideas at once.

To use the verb, talk about people articulating plans, goals, features, benefits, reasons, thoughts, feelings, problems, expectations and so on.

And to use the adjective, talk about articulate people, voices, sounds, words, speeches, writing, thoughts, insights, praise, criticism, and so on.

examples:

"Something about the case had lit a spark in her, though she could not yet put her finger on it, and would not be able to articulate it for a long while." 
— Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere, 2017

"I still can't wrap my head around [the fact] that you only went to school until second grade. And that you are so intelligent and articulate. And that you can write and read that the level that you do is phenomenal."
— Melissa Moore, as quoted by Nardos Haile, Salon, 7 August 2012

has this page helped you understand "articulate"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "articulate" without saying "explain" or "detail."

try it out:

We often talk about thoughts, feelings, and hopes that are hard to articulate: hard to nail down in words, hard to express clearly.

For example, when I was browsing in a shop the other day, I sniffed a scented candle, and it filled me with a nostalgic mix of happiness and sadness, for reasons I couldn't articulate.

Talk about the last time you found it hard to articulate something, and why.

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Eddie Izzardisms!"

Consider a quote from Eddie Izzard's delightful stand-up comedy, and decide which of three given terms you can most easily connect it to. You can see my suggested answer by scrolling to the bottom of the issue. But yours doesn't need to match mine. 

Try this one today:

"I love technology! If you have techno-joy, you get the instructions, you unwrap it, and you throw the instructions out the window! Forget them! F*** 'em! I must know how this works, I've used machines before!"

Buoyant, incessant, or petulant?

review this word:

1. The precise opposite of ARTICULATE is INARTICULATE. But a pretty close opposite of ARTICULATE is

A. INFINITESIMAL: extremely tiny or insignificant.
B. INCOMPETENT: unskilled, not able to do a job correctly.
C. INCOHERENT: illogical and meaningless, making no sense.

2. Using the word "articulate" literally, H.W. Janson wrote that we "don't need to enclose space in order to articulate it," meaning we don't need walls and doors in order to _____.

A. define separate areas
B. beautify various areas
C. make certain areas private

Answers to the review questions: 1. C 2. A From the game, here's a suggested answer: I'd go with buoyant, because new tech makes him float or bubble with excitement and confidence

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.