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 Web
Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
He’s finally painted the town in the colors of his mother’s desperate dreams, but there will be no verbal acknowledgment of pride to drown out her final words of hate.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
The city will also host a public meeting to receive verbal comments on the matter on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 4:30 p.m. at the Linda Callon Conference Room in city hall.
—Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
The confrontation reportedly stemmed from an earlier verbal exchange between the 17-year-old and other rally-goers.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for verbal 
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Adjective
From March 2020 to December 2021, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country reported nearly 11,000 hate incidents, including verbal and physical abuse, being coughed at or spat on, and facing discrimination in the workplace.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
He’s finally painted the town in the colors of his mother’s desperate dreams, but there will be no verbal acknowledgment of pride to drown out her final words of hate.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
The city will also host a public meeting to receive verbal comments on the matter on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 4:30 p.m. at the Linda Callon Conference Room in city hall.
—Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
The confrontation reportedly stemmed from an earlier verbal exchange between the 17-year-old and other rally-goers.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for verbal
Dictionary Entries Near verbal
Cite this Entry
“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbal. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
verbal
2 of 2 noun
: a word that combines characteristics of a verb with those of a noun or adjective
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