Meaning & use

verbal

adjective·Academic

Last updated

Relating to or expressed in words, especially spoken rather than written words.

See it in a sentence

They reached a verbal agreement over the phone before signing the contract.

Her verbal skills made her a natural fit for the debate team.

A note on using this word

Strictly, "verbal" means "in words" and can include writing, while "oral" specifically means "spoken"; in casual use, though, people often use "verbal" to mean spoken.

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