1
a
: uttered by the voice : oral
b
: produced in the larynx : uttered with voice
2
a
: given to expressing oneself freely or insistently : outspoken
a highly vocal critic
b
: having or exercising the power of producing voice, speech, or sound
c
d
: full of voices : resounding
e
: expressed in words
3
: relating to, composed or arranged for, or sung by the human voice
vocal music
4
: of, relating to, or resembling the voice
vocal impairment
5
: vocalic
1
: a vocal sound
2
: a usually accompanied musical composition for the human voice : song
also
: a performance of such a composition
Synonyms
Examples of vocal in a Sentence
Adjective
music with vocal and instrumental parts
She is a vocal critic of the new law.
He was very vocal in his criticism of me.
Noun
a recording artist who arranges his own vocals
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Apr. 2024
Others who have been vocal about a ceasefire, including Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Jamaal Bowman of New York, are also facing moderate opponents.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Over the last several weeks, Bertinelli has slowly been more vocal about her new romance.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
That problem is fueled by the AI companies who roll out face filters, Lil Yachty festival memes, and quirky vocal filters to obscure the exploitative, obfuscating harm that AI represents.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
Instead of trying desperately to sidestep a potential political landmine, like the other sports leagues do, the NBA and its players have become vocal proponents of social change, even in the face of pushback from more conservative Americans.
—TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Braxton concluded her thoughts by emphasizing the importance of being vocal about lupus and spreading the word.
—Essence, 19 Apr. 2024
Majority owner Joe Lacob has been vocal about possibly dipping under the luxury tax threshold.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
While most Japanese Americans vote Democratic, an increasingly vocal generation of young activists is trying to push their parents’ and grandparents’ civil rights group further to the left.
—Amy Qin, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Rebecca Milzoff, Billboard, 24 Apr. 2024
Regardless of the decade, her suffering heart and caressing vocals united artists unafraid of the rawest emotions.
—Holly Gleason, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals maintain a prominent place in the mix.
—PCMAG, 21 Apr. 2024
Thus, several members of Goodbye Mr Mackenzie formed Angelfish with Manson on lead vocals, with their sole album produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 21 Apr. 2024
At the start of the pandemic, the three-man band released Live from Joshua Tree, an 8-track album incorporating hypnotic synths, pulsing bass lines, and heavenly vocals played in the desert.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2024
And Drake’s use of AI Snoop Dogg vocals has already gotten a response from the real, living Snoop Dogg.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 20 Apr. 2024
During the first set, Anastasio’s vocals were often difficult to decipher, but the multi-generational crowd eagerly compensated until the mixing was tweaked and the immersive sound kicked in.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The original leak was low quality; Drake’s vocals sound grainy and monotone.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Both sets won Grammys for best traditional pop vocal album.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Apr. 2024
Others who have been vocal about a ceasefire, including Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Jamaal Bowman of New York, are also facing moderate opponents.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Over the last several weeks, Bertinelli has slowly been more vocal about her new romance.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
That problem is fueled by the AI companies who roll out face filters, Lil Yachty festival memes, and quirky vocal filters to obscure the exploitative, obfuscating harm that AI represents.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
Instead of trying desperately to sidestep a potential political landmine, like the other sports leagues do, the NBA and its players have become vocal proponents of social change, even in the face of pushback from more conservative Americans.
—TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Braxton concluded her thoughts by emphasizing the importance of being vocal about lupus and spreading the word.
—Essence, 19 Apr. 2024
Majority owner Joe Lacob has been vocal about possibly dipping under the luxury tax threshold.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
While most Japanese Americans vote Democratic, an increasingly vocal generation of young activists is trying to push their parents’ and grandparents’ civil rights group further to the left.
—Amy Qin, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Noun
Three decades later, The Who’s Tommy is back in its first major Broadway revival — a searing production with a cast of standout vocal and acting talent led by 24-year old Ali Louis Bourzgui as Tommy.
—Rebecca Milzoff, Billboard, 24 Apr. 2024
Regardless of the decade, her suffering heart and caressing vocals united artists unafraid of the rawest emotions.
—Holly Gleason, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals maintain a prominent place in the mix.
—PCMAG, 21 Apr. 2024
Thus, several members of Goodbye Mr Mackenzie formed Angelfish with Manson on lead vocals, with their sole album produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 21 Apr. 2024
At the start of the pandemic, the three-man band released Live from Joshua Tree, an 8-track album incorporating hypnotic synths, pulsing bass lines, and heavenly vocals played in the desert.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2024
And Drake’s use of AI Snoop Dogg vocals has already gotten a response from the real, living Snoop Dogg.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 20 Apr. 2024
During the first set, Anastasio’s vocals were often difficult to decipher, but the multi-generational crowd eagerly compensated until the mixing was tweaked and the immersive sound kicked in.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The original leak was low quality; Drake’s vocals sound grainy and monotone.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vocal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vocal
Cite this Entry
“Vocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vocal. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vocal
2 of 2 noun1
: a vocal sound
2
: a piece of vocal music
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