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Meaning & use

verbal agreement

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌvɜːbl əˈɡriːmənt/
US/ˌvɜːrbl əˈɡriːmənt/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    An agreement that people make by speaking, without writing it down or signing a contract.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a verbal agreement' or 'verbal agreements'.

    Patterns

    • a verbal agreement with someone
    • make a verbal agreement
    • have a verbal agreement

    We made a verbal agreement to share the rent, but nothing was written down.

    She relied on a verbal agreement with her neighbor about the fence.

    A verbal agreement can be hard to prove in court.

  2. noununcountabletechnical

    In grammar, the matching of a verb with its subject in number and person.

    Grammar: Uncountable in this sense: 'verbal agreement' is a grammatical concept.

    Patterns

    • verbal agreement between subject and verb
    • rules of verbal agreement

    The teacher explained verbal agreement: 'He walks' but 'They walk'.

    Errors in verbal agreement are common when the subject is a long phrase.

    In English, verbal agreement is simpler than in many other languages.

Word forms

pluralverbal agreements

Common combinations

make a verbal agreement
They made a verbal agreement to meet at noon.
a verbal agreement with someone
I have a verbal agreement with the landlord about repairs.
break a verbal agreement
He broke our verbal agreement and sold the car.
rely on a verbal agreement
Don't rely on a verbal agreement for something this important.

Synonyms and how they differ

oral agreement
Very similar, but 'oral' is more formal and often used in legal contexts; 'verbal' can also contrast with 'written' in everyday speech.
handshake deal
Informal and suggests trust without paperwork; a verbal agreement may or may not involve a handshake.

Opposites

written agreementcontract

Word family

verbally adverb
In speech rather than writing: 'She agreed verbally.'
verbal adjective
Relating to words or speech: 'a verbal warning'.

Commonly confused: verbal agreement or verbal contract?

verbal agreement vs verbal contract

A verbal contract is a legal term for a contract made by speech; a verbal agreement is the more general everyday phrase.

Practice

They didn't sign anything; it was only a ______ agreement.

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