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
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
Charna Flam, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Back in 2018, Osment was involved in a verbal scuffle at an airport in Las Vegas.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
But passively scrolling TikTok or the social platform X weakens everything from your ability to process verbal information to your working memory to your ability to focus.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Most pop songs can be taught through verbal communication (Play this chord, then that chord ) and demonstration (Here, listen; the melody goes like this).
—Matthew Aucoin, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verbal
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Adjective
In 2018, police were called when Osment had a public verbal scuffle at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday in 2018.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Back in 2018, Osment was involved in a verbal scuffle at an airport in Las Vegas.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
But passively scrolling TikTok or the social platform X weakens everything from your ability to process verbal information to your working memory to your ability to focus.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Most pop songs can be taught through verbal communication (Play this chord, then that chord ) and demonstration (Here, listen; the melody goes like this).
—Matthew Aucoin, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verbal
Cite this Entry
“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbal. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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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