verbally

adverb

ver·​bal·​ly ˈvər-bə-lē 

1

a

: in words : through or by the use of words

Yet it seems whenever somebody writes about him, Sheen gets verbally slugged for not driving around in some beat-up old Chevy.

—Hal Rubenstein

In Chapter 1 … Burge explains verbally, formally, and symbolically the system of notations to be used in the book.

—Datamation

b

: in spoken rather than written words

In the centuries before the Magna Carta, agreements were made and kept verbally.

—Janeen R. Adil

… John's will was not a written will. It was a nuncupative will, which means on his deathbed, John verbally told persons how he wanted his estate divided or dispensed.

—Sharon Tate Moody

… is intended to express, whether verbally or in writing, or in any other way, the real process of thought.

—Trewin Copplestone

Although some prospects arrive at these football factories verbally committed to a college, most are still free agents.

—Bruce Feldman

c

: with regard to words or language

Lessing has never been an elegant writer. At her better and best, she is cranky, … pleonastic, defensive, and verbally self-indulgent.

—Susan Lardner

Some toddlers walk early and talk late; others are verbally precocious but happily creep and crawl until the middle of the second year.

—Susan Ochshorn

2

: as a verb

a noun being used verbally

Examples of verbally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

People were also arrested for verbally criticizing officers, which is protected under the right to freedom of speech and expression. —Landon Mion, Fox News, 16 Dec. 2024

Suspects verbally and physically assaulted the victim for several minutes, police say The victim, who is not a student at Salisbury University, told authorities the assault happened on Oct. 15. —Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024

An inarticulate protagonist—a protagonist who isn’t much given to verbally analyzing his own experience—seemed to provide an opportunity to approach things another way, indirectly or suggestively. —Dennis Zhou, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2024

Negotiations essentially involve terms being discussed verbally, which usually leads to the issuing of a formal offer. —James Pearce, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1b