Articulated

How to spell articulated

11 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce articulated

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does articulated mean?

1. verbExpressed or stated an idea clearly and in a structured way.
2. adjectiveHaving two or more sections connected by a flexible joint so they can bend or pivot.

Articulated in a sentence

• verb

  The manager articulated the new policy in plain terms at the meeting.

• adjective

  An articulated lorry takes up two parking bays at the depot.

• verb

  She articulated her concerns about the budget in a calm, ordered way.

• adjective

  The museum displayed an articulated skeleton with every joint wired in place.

Where does articulated come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word goes back to the Latin articulus, meaning 'a small joint', the diminutive of artus, 'a joint' or 'limb'. From that base Latin formed the verb articulare, literally 'to divide into joints', and by extension 'to utter distinctly', since clear speech was imagined as breaking sound neatly into separate parts. English took the verb 'articulate' in the 1500s, carrying both ideas: connecting parts at a joint, and expressing thoughts clearly. The past-tense and adjective form 'articulated' developed naturally from there, and you can still see the two streams today in an 'articulated lorry' (joined in sections) and a person who has 'articulated' an argument well. The same articulus root sits quietly inside the spelling, which is why the tricky middle is 'cul', not 'cle', and the ending is the regular '-ated'.

How the word is built

• articul- (from Latin articulus: a small joint)
• -ate (verb-forming suffix)
• -ed (past tense / participle suffix)