What is the Latin word for oration?

The usual Latin words for “oration” are ōrātiō, cōntiō, āctiō; also ōrātiuncula, commentātiō, commentārius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“oration” in Latin

ōrātiōspeech, discourse, language; the power of speech; manner or style of speaking cōntiōa meeting, assembly; a speech, oration or discourse before a public assembly āctiōaction; a doing or performing, behavior; public function, civil act; suit, process, action ōrātiunculaa little speech, a few remarks commentātiōmeditation, studying; treatise, dissertation commentāriusmemorandum, notebook; diary, journal; a brief cōnficiōto prepare, accomplish, complete, execute; settle, close a bargain; traverse; to produce, cause, bring about, effect, se

The English word oration itself goes back to Latin ōrō, through ōrātiō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

oration

oratio (usually as distinguished from sermo, which is less formal; but sometimes sermo is found in this sense; Plin., Ep.): concio (delivered to an assembly convened; e.g., of the people, of soldiers): actio (an oration delivered by an advocate before a court or in the Senate; Vid: Ern., Clav., Cic., in voc). A short oration, oratiuncula: a premeditated or prepared oration, commentatio (opposed to subita et fortuita oratio): to prepare an oration, orationem meditari or commentari: to learn one’s intended oration by heart, orationem ediscere: to compose an oration, orationem facere or conficere: to deliver an oration, orationem habere, agere, dicere; verba facere (less than orationem habere, etc.), or simply dicere: to deliver an oration before the people, concionari; concionem habere: to deliver an oration before anybody, verba facere apud aliquem; before or to the people, orationem dicere ad populum (de aliqua re); verba facere apud populum (general term); ad or apud populum agere (as advocate): he delivered the following oration, verba ita fecit: to read an oration, orationem recitare: to read a written oration, orationem de scripto dicere: to conclude his oration, perorare or dicendi finem facere.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for oration?: The usual Latin words for “oration” are ōrātiō, cōntiō, āctiō; also ōrātiuncula, commentātiō, commentārius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.