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
John Werner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Video shown in court in November showed a group of men, two of whom officials identified as Rocky and Ephron, involved in a verbal altercation, according to The Associated Press.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 22 Oct. 2024
For some context, The Dating Game functioned similarly to Love Is Blind in that the bachelorette and bachelors were separated by a wall, and therefore had to make their choice based on verbal demeanor as opposed to physical appearance.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters FEMA staff have faced verbal attacks and the risk of physical harm.
—Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for verbal 
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Adjective
In this case, a human respondent gave the software two verbal descriptions of customer problems, and with just a little bit of latency, the program returned an accurate summary, classifications, and the customers’ first and last names.
—John Werner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Video shown in court in November showed a group of men, two of whom officials identified as Rocky and Ephron, involved in a verbal altercation, according to The Associated Press.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 22 Oct. 2024
For some context, The Dating Game functioned similarly to Love Is Blind in that the bachelorette and bachelors were separated by a wall, and therefore had to make their choice based on verbal demeanor as opposed to physical appearance.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters FEMA staff have faced verbal attacks and the risk of physical harm.
—Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 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 8 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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