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peroration

peroration

1 9.9
A short inspiring ending to a speech that brings ideas together
  • noun
  • /ˌpɛrəˈreɪʃən/
  • Formal
: peroración
  • In David Cameron's peroration to the assembled reactionaries, one of a string of bigoted conceits was a reference to Britain as a "buccaneering" nation.

Examples

  • As her husband was winding up this peroration, Min-Sun smiled in a way that might as easily have been sad as serene.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • "Joe listened patiently, awaiting the point of this peroration, but Sammy seemed to have lost the thread."

    Fiction book (2002)
  • But the most disturbing passage of his speech was also the most eloquent: the peroration at the end.

    Blog text (2)
  • In a moving peroration, Johnson concludes his chapter: "... she is silenced and stripped of her power."

    Academic text (2003)
  • A president who intends to commit the United States to a policy of negotiating the abolition of nuclear weapons would not announce the fact in answer to a question at a press conference or in the peroration of some speech on an unrelated subject.

    Academic text (2000)
  • In a moving peroration, Johnson concludes his chapter: "... she is silenced and stripped of her power."

  • Reagan ended his speech with his "shining city upon a hill" peroration, a vision of the sunny uplands of America's future.

  • On this subject, he delivered a truly energized peroration that inspired the audience.

Antonyms

52 2.1

The first part of a book, speech, or essay that explains the topic

How Grand

finale
166 3.6
peroration
  • Formal
1 9.9
conclusion
164 2.2
closing
182 2.3
end
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

peroration singular
perorations plural

Morphology

peroration = perorate (transparent) = perorate + ion

Standard noun formation from the verb 'perorate' (verb + -ion) yields the noun meaning 'the concluding part of a speech'.

Etymology

Peroration comes from the Latin parts per- meaning 'through' and orare meaning 'to speak', and it is related to oration and orator, words about speaking. So a peroration is the part at the end of a speech that 'speaks through' to the finish and gives a strong, final ending that brings the ideas together.