Definitional Speeches
Definitional Speeches
In definitional speeches the speaker attempts to set forth the meaning of concepts, theories, philosophies, or issues that may be unfamiliar to the audience. Regardless of the listeners’ level of knowledge about the subject, it is very important in these types of speeches to show the relevance of the topic to their lives. Often the topics discussed in definitional speeches are abstract—distanced from reality. So provide explicit, real-life examples and applications of the subject matter. If for instance you were going to give a speech about civil rights, you would need to go beyond commonly held meanings and show the topic in a new light. In this type of speech, the speaker points out the unique and distinguishing properties or boundaries of a concept in a particular context (14). The meaning of “civil rights” has changed significantly over time. What does it mean today compared to the 1960s? How will knowing this distinction help audience members? What are some specific examples of civil rights issues in current news? What changes in civil rights legislation might listeners see in their lifetimes?
Sample Definitional Speech Outline
Title: “Life is suffering,” and Other Buddhist Teachings (15) Specific
Purpose: At the end of my speech my audience will understand the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path in Buddhism
Central Idea: Regardless of your religious beliefs, Buddhist philosophy teaches a number of useful lessons you can apply to your own life.
- Four Noble Truths
- All life involves dukkha (suffering)
- Suffering is caused by tanha (longing for things to be other than they are)
- If this longing stops (nirodha), suffering will cease
- The way to eliminate longing is to follow the Eightfold Path
- II. The Noble Eightfold Path (the Middle Way)
- Right view
- Right intention
- Right speech
- Right action
- Right livelihood
- Right effort
- Right mindfulness
- Right contemplation
