oral

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Spoken rather than written.

   Grammar: Used before a noun to describe something spoken, like an exam or agreement.

   Patterns

   • oral exam
   • oral agreement
   • oral history

   We have an oral exam in French next week.

   They made an oral agreement, but nothing was written down.

   The tribe passed down its stories through oral tradition.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Relating to the mouth.

   Grammar: Used before a noun to talk about the mouth, especially in medical or hygiene contexts.

   Patterns

   • oral hygiene
   • oral health
   • oral medication

   Good oral hygiene includes brushing twice a day.

   The dentist checked her oral health.

   This medicine is taken orally, not injected.

3. 3nouncountable

   A spoken examination or test.

   Grammar: Often used in academic contexts; plural 'orals'.

   Patterns

   • take an oral
   • pass an oral
   • oral exam

   She has to take an oral in Spanish.

   He passed his orals with flying colors.

   The oral is worth 30% of the final grade.

Word forms

Common combinations

oral exam

The oral exam will test your speaking skills.

oral hygiene

Good oral hygiene prevents tooth decay.

oral agreement

They had an oral agreement to share the profits.

oral tradition

The stories were kept alive by oral tradition.

Synonyms and how they differ

spoken

Spoken is the everyday word for language produced by mouth; oral is more formal and often used in academic or medical contexts.

verbal

Verbal can mean spoken or written, while oral specifically means spoken, so oral is more precise when you mean speech only.

Opposites

Word family

orally adverb

By mouth or by speaking.

Commonly confused: oral or aural?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “oral”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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