1
a
: 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
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
: a word that combines characteristics of a verb with those of a noun or adjective compare gerund, infinitive, participle
Synonyms
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 WebLorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024
The verbal gaffes that have been part of his identity for a half century were on full display, his stammering evident, his blame easy to spread on his staff.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 12 July 2024
But the press’ questions focused mostly on his verbal slipups and chances of beating former President Donald Trump.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 12 July 2024
Law enforcement also confirms to PEOPLE that the arrest was directly related to the incident on April 28 in which Weston allegedly got into a verbal scuffle with his mother Christina Fulton at her home in Los Angeles, before the incident became physical.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for verbal 
Adjective
The nation and the world were hanging on President Biden’s every word, every pause, every throat-clearing and verbal gaffe during the first solo news conference since his devastating debate performance two weeks ago.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024
The verbal gaffes that have been part of his identity for a half century were on full display, his stammering evident, his blame easy to spread on his staff.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 12 July 2024
But the press’ questions focused mostly on his verbal slipups and chances of beating former President Donald Trump.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 12 July 2024
Law enforcement also confirms to PEOPLE that the arrest was directly related to the incident on April 28 in which Weston allegedly got into a verbal scuffle with his mother Christina Fulton at her home in Los Angeles, before the incident became physical.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for verbal
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'verbal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near verbal
Cite this Entry
“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbal. Accessed 20 Jul. 2024.
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verbal
2 of 2 noun
: a word that combines characteristics of a verb with those of a noun or adjective
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