[aw-rey-shuh
n, oh-rey-] 
| 1. | a formal public speech, esp. one delivered on a special occasion, as on an anniversary, at a funeral, or at academic exercises. |
| 2. | a public speech characterized by a studied or elevated style, diction, or delivery. |
| o·ra·tion (ô-rā'shən, ō-rā'-) n.
[Middle English oracion, prayer, from Late Latin ōrātiō, ōrātiōn-, from Latin, discourse, from ōrātus, past participle of ōrāre, to speak.] |