Definition of "utterance"

at length gave utterance to these words

1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873,

Mathematics and Poetry are [...] the utterance of the same power of imagination, only that in the one case it is addressed to the head, in the other, to the heart.

July 1857, Thomas Hill, "The Imagination in Mathematics", in The North American Review

And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.

1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, “XXVA”, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, page 203

To know how one should express oneself in saying or judging that there really are falsehoods without getting caught up in contradiction by such an utterance: that's extremely difficult, Theaetetus.

2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 237a

Mrs. Weston kissed her with tears of joy; and when she could find utterance, assured her, that this protestation had done her more good than any thing else in the world could do.

1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter X, in Emma: […], volume III, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, page 175

They [...] began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Acts ii:4

[...] O, how frail / To that large utterance of the early Gods!

1818–1819, John Keats, “Hyperion, a Fragment”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, part I, page 148

The clothemakers […] had great profite and good utterance of the sayd cloth

a. 1564, King Edward IV of England, a royal decree

Among champions and such as strive for the masterie in feats of activitie, we count those for their adversaries and concurrents onely, who professe and practise the same kinde of game or exercise; for those that goe to it with fists and buffers, are commonly friends good enough to such sword-fencers as fight at sharpe to the utterance, and well-willers to the champions called Pancratiastae.

1603, Plutarch, “Of Brotherly Love”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, page 184

To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!Rather than so, come fate into the list,And champion me to th' utterance.

c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene i]

Besides, For the most part, the Combate was continued or ended at the discretion of the Prince, or his Substitutes, which also did most commonly part the Duellists, and not suffer them to proceed to the utterance, but pronounced them both good and approved Cavaliers upon the place, which was a token of their prudent affection to preserve noble spirits for better uses.

1659, Thomas Pestell, “A Collection of several mens Discourses and Opinions concerning Duels”, in Sermons and devotions old and new, page 326