What does "voice" mean?
Sound uttered by the mouth, especially by human beings in speech or song; sound thus uttered considered as possessing some special quality or character.
Voice
/vɔɪs/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Sound uttered by the mouth, especially by human beings in speech or song; sound thus uttered considered as possessing some special quality or character.
- Grammar: voice is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: vocalization, acceptance, accompaniment, active.
- Useful contrasts: disempowerment, mute, powerlessness.
- Usage evidence: Joan of Arc refused to renounce her belief that the voice she heard was from God and none other.
How to use "voice"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "voice" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "voice" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "voice" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "voice" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "voice" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "vocalization" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "voice", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Sound uttered by the mouth, especially by human beings in speech or song; sound thus uttered considered as possessing some special quality or character.
"The human voice is the oldest musical instrument in history."
- 2 a means or agency by which something is expressed or communicated wordnet
- 3 Sound made through vibration of the vocal cords; sonant, or intonated, utterance; tone; — distinguished from mere breath sound as heard in whispering and voiceless consonants.
- 4 the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech wordnet
- 5 The tone or sound emitted by an object.
"And after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire, a still small voice."
Show 19 more definitions
- 6 the ability to speak wordnet
- 7 The faculty or power of utterance.
"to cultivate the voice"
- 8 the melody carried by a particular voice or instrument in polyphonic music wordnet
- 9 That which is communicated; message; meaning.
"I desire to bee present with you now, and to change my voyce, for I stand in doubt of you."
- 10 expressing in coherent verbal form wordnet
- 11 An expressed opinion, choice, will, desire, or wish; the right or ability to make such expression or to have it considered. figuratively
"Sicinius. How now, my masters! have you chose this man? / 1st Citizen. He has our voices, sir."
- 12 the sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract wordnet
- 13 Command; precept. archaic
"As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall yee perish; because ye would not be obedient vnto the voice of the Lord your God."
- 14 something suggestive of speech in being a medium of expression wordnet
- 15 One who speaks; a speaker.
"a potent voice of Parliament."
- 16 A term used in phonetics and phonology to characterize speech sounds, with sounds described as either voiceless (unvoiced) or voiced. wordnet
- 17 A particular style or way of writing that expresses a certain tone or feeling.
- 18 a sound suggestive of a vocal utterance wordnet
- 19 A particular way of inflecting or conjugating verbs, or a particular form of a verb, which indicates the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses.
"The verbal system of Latin has two voices, active and passive."
- 20 an advocate who represents someone else's policy or purpose wordnet
- 21 In harmony, an independent vocal or instrumental part in a piece of composition.
"The theme of this piece constantly migrates between the three voice parts."
- 22 (metonymy) a singer wordnet
- 23 A flag associated with a user on a channel, determining whether they can send messages to the channel. Internet
"True, better clients will remember that a person had a voice before they were opped and will return the + when they are deopped, but that doesn't solve the problem."
- 24 (linguistics) the grammatical relation (active or passive) of the grammatical subject of a verb to the action that the verb denotes wordnet
Verb
- 1 To give utterance or expression to; to utter; to publish; to announce transitive
"He voiced the sentiments of the nation."
- 2 give voice to wordnet
- 3 To utter audibly, with tone and not just breath. transitive
- 4 utter with vibrating vocal chords wordnet
- 5 To fit for producing the proper sounds; to regulate the tone of transitive
"voice the pipes of an organ"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To vote; to elect; to appoint obsolete, transitive
- 7 To clamor; to cry out intransitive, obsolete
"If thou wilt give me Davids heart; Ile voyce, / Great God, with David; and make Davids choyce."
- 8 To assign the voice flag to a user on IRC, permitting them to send messages to the channel. Internet, transitive
"I would like this script to allow me to notice not only the ops in a channel, but also those that have been voiced by the ops, at the same time."
- 9 To act as a voice actor to portray a character.
"The openly ridiculous plot has The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) scheming to win the Pirate Of The Year competition, even though he’s a terrible pirate, far outclassed by rivals voiced by Jeremy Piven and Salma Hayek."
Proper Noun
- 1 The Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal Australian
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Joan of Arc refused to renounce her belief that the voice she heard was from God and none other."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "voice"?
Common synonyms include: vocalization, acceptance, accompaniment, active, active voice, adherence.
How do you use "voice" in a sentence?
Joan of Arc refused to renounce her belief that the voice she heard was from God and none other.
How do you pronounce "voice"?
Pronounced /vɔɪs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English voice, voys, vois, borrowed from Anglo-Norman voiz, voys, voice, Old French vois, voiz (Modern French voix), from Latin vōcem, accusative form of vōx (“voice”), from Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs, root noun from *wekʷ- (“to utter, speak”). Cognate with Sanskrit वाच् (vāc), Ancient Greek ὄψ (óps), Persian آواز (âvâz). Displaced native Middle English steven (“voice”) (from Old English stefn (see steven)), Old English hlēoþor, Old English woþ, and Old English reord. Compare advocate, advowson, avouch, convoke, vocal, vouch, vowel. Doublet of vox.
Etymology 2
From Middle English voysen, voicen, from the noun (see above).
Etymology 3
Clipping of Voice to Parliament.