to hold forth
Preserved but no longer current.
To speak in public; to harangue; to declaim. An author holds forth certain opinions or ideas in his book, Le. exhibits them or holds them out to view. A speaker does the same in an oratorical display.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to hold forth” mean?
To speak in public; to harangue; to declaim. An author holds forth certain opinions or ideas in his book, Le. exhibits them or holds them out to view. A speaker does the same in an oratorical display.
Is “to hold forth” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.