| diction |
| Definition: Your choice of words, as well as the way you say them. |
| Example:
William F. Buckley says eirenic, whereas you're average English speaker says peaceful. Note: When asked to explain this diction decision, Buckley replied that he preferred the extra syllable. |
| Etymology: The word derives from the Latin dicere, to say. |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The first OED citation for the word in this sense is from 1700: "The first beauty of an Epick poem consists in diction, that is, in the choice of words and harmony of numbers." (Dryden, Fables Pref. (Globe) 496) |