verbal

[ vur-buhl ]
See synonyms for verbal on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of or relating to words: verbal ability.

  2. consisting of or in the form of words: verbal imagery.

  1. expressed in spoken words; oral rather than written: verbal communication; verbal agreement.

  2. consisting of or expressed in words (as opposed to actions): a verbal protest.

  3. pertaining to or concerned with words only (as opposed to ideas, facts, or realities): a purely verbal distinction between two concepts.

  4. corresponding word for word; verbatim: a verbal translation.

  5. using words: verbal facility.

  6. based on the use of words (as opposed to other activity): a verbal score in a test; verbal IQ.

  7. Grammar.

    • of, relating to, or derived from a verb: verbal nouns and adjectives.

    • used in a sentence as or like a verb.

    • used to form verbs: the verbal ending “-ed.”

noun
  1. Grammar.

    • a word derived from a verb, especially one used as a noun or an adjective, as, in English, a gerund, participle, or infinitive.

    • a word or words used in a sentence as or like a verb.

Origin of verbal

1
First recorded in 1485–95; from Middle French, from Latin verbālis, equivalent to verb(um) “word, speech” + -ālis adjective sufix; see word,-al1

usage note For verbal

3, 4. Verbal has had the meaning “spoken” since the late 16th century and is thus synonymous with oral: He wrote a memorandum to confirm the verbal agreement. Slightly earlier, verbal had developed the meaning “expressed in words, whether spoken or written (as opposed to actions)”: Verbal support is no help without money and supplies. Although some say that the use of verbal to mean “spoken” produces ambiguity, it rarely does so. Verbal is used in this sense in all varieties of speech and writing and is fully standard. The context usually makes the meaning clear: No documents are necessary; a verbal agreement (or contract or order ) will suffice. Oral can be used instead of verbal if the context demands: My lawyer insists on a written contract because oral agreements are too difficult to enforce.

Other words for verbal

Other words from verbal

  • ver·bal·ly, adverb
  • non·ver·bal, adjective

Words that may be confused with verbal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use verbal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for verbal

verbal

/ (ˈvɜːbəl) /


adjective
  1. of, relating to, or using words, esp as opposed to ideas, etc: merely verbal concessions

  2. oral rather than written: a verbal agreement

  1. verbatim; literal: an almost verbal copy

  2. grammar of or relating to verbs or a verb

noun
  1. grammar another word for verbid

  2. (plural) slang abuse or invective: new forms of on-field verbals

  1. (plural) slang a criminal's admission of guilt on arrest

verb-bals, -balling or -balled (tr)
  1. slang (of the police) to implicate (someone) in a crime by quoting alleged admission of guilt in court

Derived forms of verbal

  • verbally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012