verbal
adjective
ver·bal
| \ ˈvər-bəl
\
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Definition of verbal
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: of, relating to, or consisting of words
verbal instructions
b
: of, relating to, or involving words rather than meaning or substance
a consistency that is merely verbal and scholastic— B. N. Cardozo
c
: consisting of or using words only and not involving action
verbal abuse
2
: of, relating to, or formed from a verb
a verbal adjective
3
: spoken rather than written
a verbal contract
4
: verbatim, word-for-word
a verbal translation
5
: of or relating to facility in the use and comprehension of words
verbal aptitude
verbal
nounDefinition of verbal (Entry 2 of 2)
: a word that combines characteristics of a verb with those of a noun or adjective — compare gerund, infinitive, participle
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Other Words from verbal
Adjective
verbally
\ ˈvər-bə-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for verbal
Synonyms: Adjective
lexical, linguistic (also linguistical), rhetorical (also rhetoric), vocabular, wordy
Antonyms: Adjective
nonlexical, nonlinguistic, nonverbal
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Examples of verbal in a Sentence
Adjective
He scored well on the verbal section of the test. They had a verbal exchange. a verbal agreement to finish the work We gave only verbal instructions.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Elliot, now 18, is highly verbal and his loud noise-making often distracted and angered other park-goers. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Autism companion dogs ‘graduate’ into service," 28 Aug. 2019 Police were called to the park July 6 after a verbal confrontation between family members escalated into a physical fight. — Los Angeles Times, "Three family members charged in brawl at Disneyland that was caught on video," 23 July 2019 Chinese people’s anger is not just verbal but will translate into action. — Washington Post, "From Givenchy to Versace, big brands are apologizing to China," 13 Aug. 2019 Although Katie is not exceptionally verbal, the two women formed a comfortable bond quickly, working with the same rhythm, a few words and a shared sense of purpose. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, "‘Radically Inclusive’ project gives career training to young artists with autism," 30 June 2019 Bellaire resident Liz Selig did not know that her autistic son Jack, who is non-verbal, had wandered away from home one evening in May. What followed was an opportunity to help all of her community. — Rebecca Hazen, Houston Chronicle, "Home Safe Bellaire Program helps special needs residents reunite with families," 5 Aug. 2019 And secondly, Wayne already has a verbal scholarship offer from the University of Oregon. — oregonlive.com, "Oregon Ducks offer 6-foot-5, 220-pound 8th grade graduate Jayden Wayne," 4 Aug. 2019 His affection turned to verbal abuse, then beatings. — Jonathan M. Pitts, Washington Post, "Baltimore shelter for sex trafficking victims offers a path out of ‘the Life’," 3 Aug. 2019 Supervisors or colleagues who target co-workers with verbal abuse, and organizations that allow it, can end up in court, facing big fines. — Joe Davidson, Anchorage Daily News, "Talking in the workplace as Trump does can get you fired and your employer fined," 2 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
All was one in a wave of recruits committing to Michigan this weekend as the Wolverines picked up four verbals from four different states on Sunday. — Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Recruiting Trail: Briggs, All highlight 8-commitment weekend," 25 June 2018 Colerain linebacker Luke Bolden announced his verbal commitment to the RedHawks on the final day of May. Bolden's commitment gives Miami 17 verbals so far for the '19 cycle, including four locals. — John Snodgrass, Cincinnati.com, "Recruiting Trail: Colerain's Luke Bolden headed to Miami," 4 June 2018 Both of them backed off their verbals, and eventual Indiana pledge Romeo Langford cut Louisville from his list of schools. — Chris Johnson, SI.com, "Winners and Losers of College Basketball's 2018 Recruiting Cycle," 2 May 2018 Former West Linn and Beaverton standout Nolan Bertain recently made a verbal committed to sign a men's basketball letter of intent at Alabama-Birmingham. — Nick Daschel, OregonLive.com, "West Linn grad Nolan Bertain verbally commits to Alabama-Birmingham men's basketball," 24 Apr. 2018 Early in the morning, the Ducks signed four-star verbal commits Jalen Hall and Isaah Crocker. — Andrew Nemec, OregonLive.com, "Devon Williams, nation's No. 16 prospect, commits to USC Trojans over Oregon Ducks on ESPN," 7 Feb. 2018 Another former Tennessee verbal who may be up for a reunion with the Volunteers before signing his NLI is Knoxville Catholic High product Cade Mays, the No. — Chris Johnson, SI.com, "How the Coaching Carousel's Key Moves Might Affect Recruiting's Early Signing Period," 12 Dec. 2017 Minnesota did not land a commit in August, but after securing 23 verbals already, the Gophers are likely in no rush to simply add bodies to their 2018 class. — Ryan Connors, ajc, "Minnesota recruiting: Latest updates on Gophers’ 2018 class," 8 Sep. 2017 The six San Diego-area players with verbals this year is one more than the number included in both SDSU’s 2011 and 2012 recruiting classes. — Kirk Kenney, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Carlsbad's Cameron Thomas latest addition in Aztecs' 2018 recruiting class loaded with locals," 30 June 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'verbal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for verbal
verbal
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of verbal
: relating to or consisting of words
: spoken rather than written
: relating to or formed from a verb
See the full definition for verbal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
verbal
adjective
ver·bal
| \ ˈvər-bəl
\
\