VOICELESSNESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does voicelessness mean? 

• VOICELESSNESS (noun)
  The noun VOICELESSNESS has 3 senses:

1. a disorder of the vocal organs that results in the loss of voice

2. speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

3. having no voice in the management or control of affairs

  Familiarity information: VOICELESSNESS used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VOICELESSNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A disorder of the vocal organs that results in the loss of voice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

aphonia; voicelessness

Hypernyms ("voicelessness" is a kind of...):

defect of speech; speech defect; speech disorder (a disorder of oral speech)

Derivation:

voiceless (being without sound through injury or illness and thus incapable of all but whispered speech)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

susurration; voicelessness; whisper; whispering

Hypernyms ("voicelessness" is a kind of...):

speaking; speech production (the utterance of intelligible speech)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "voicelessness"):

stage whisper (a loud whisper that can be overheard; on the stage it is heard by the audience but it supposed to be inaudible to the rest of the cast)

Derivation:

voiceless (produced without vibration of the vocal cords)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Having no voice in the management or control of affairs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

the voicelessness of those who live in situations of hopelessness

Hypernyms ("voicelessness" is a kind of...):

impotence; impotency; powerlessness (the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble)

Derivation:

voiceless (deprived of the rights of citizenship especially the right to vote)