orationem

Orationem is the accusative singular form of the Latin noun oratio, which means a speech, oration, or, in some contexts, prayer. The noun oratio is a feminine word of the third declension; its principal forms include nominative oratio, genitive orationis, dative orationi, accusative orationem, and ablative oratione. In Latin usage, oratio primarily denotes a formal public address intended to persuade, inform, or exhort, while in religious contexts it can also mean a prayer.

Etymology traces oratio to the Latin root associated with speaking, pleading, or praying, connected to the verb orare, which means to speak, plead, or pray. The sense of the word broadened over time from a generic act of speaking to specific kinds of formal discourse and prayer.

In classical rhetoric, oratio is a central concept referring to the structure and delivery of a speech. It appears in literary and legal contexts as a unit of discourse, and phrases such as orationem habere (to deliver an oration) or orationem dicere (to give a speech) were common in Latin prose. The plural orationes is used for collections of speeches or individual famous speeches, such as those by Cicero.

In medieval and ecclesiastical Latin, oratio also came to signify prayers within liturgical and devotional settings, underscoring the term’s dual sense as both public discourse and private prayer. In modern scholarship, oratio is often rendered as “oration” or “speech” in English, depending on context.

See also: orator, orationes, orationem.