word-of-mouth

1 of 2

adjective

: orally communicated
also : generated from or reliant on oral publicity
word-of-mouth customers
a word-of-mouth business

word of mouth

2 of 2

noun phrase

: oral communication
especially : oral often inadvertent publicity

Examples of word-of-mouth in a Sentence

Adjective not having the money to run ads, the restaurant relies on word-of-mouth publicity
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
By focusing on transparency, personalized service, and consistent results, the company grew largely through word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients in investor networks, real estate, and trading. Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024 Bottom line Jeff Marks, director of Club portfolio analysis, said Wednesday that as more and more iPhone users upgrade and start using the Apple Intelligence features word-of-mouth should get more people to stop dragging their feet. Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun phrase
Neither Helena nor Barbara knew if their sister was alive, but by miraculous word of mouth, the two reconnected in Germany. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024 Giving kids more than insurance will cover The neuroplasticity program has been able to find its families mostly through word of mouth, said Darryn Atkinson, a professor at St. Augustine who does research on the outcomes achieved through this kind of rigorous therapy. Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for word-of-mouth 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun Phrase

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of word-of-mouth was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near word-of-mouth

word of honor

word-of-mouth

word of mouth

Cite this Entry

“Word-of-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/word-of-mouth. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

word of mouth

: spoken communication
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!