1
as in linguistic
of or relating to words or language the child didn't yet have the verbal skills needed to tell the doctor about the pain he was experiencing

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2
as in oral
made or carried on through speaking rather than in writing a verbal agreement carries less force than a written contract

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of verbal Where now is the audience for ten verbal tons on the King of Late Night? Stephen Colbert, New Yorker, 18 July 2025 Neuroscience research reveals that recognition activates the same neural pathways as monetary rewards, with verbal acknowledgment releasing dopamine that reinforces positive behaviors. Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025 Witnesses told police that the man found unconscious got into a verbal argument with another man, later identified as Fischbach, and that the argument turned physical. Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025 However, The Hollywood Reporter alleged that the actor didn’t have a deal in place; only a verbal agreement with the studio for future projects. Emily Blackwood, People.com, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for verbal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for verbal
Adjective
  • The linguistic breakdown remained consistent with 2024’s cumulative figures.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 July 2025
  • Drawing an analogy to 1970s research about whether non-human primates were capable of using language—which ultimately were found to have overstated the depth of linguistic capacity that chimpanzees possess—the authors argue that the AI scheming literature suffers from similar flaws.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • Rooker adds that early studies suggest that E4 has a stable half-life suitable for once-daily oral dosing and a gentler impact on the liver compared to other estrogen formulations.
    Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 25 July 2025
  • This may include oral (by mouth) or topical (on skin) medications, or Botox injections.
    Brandi Jones, Health, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • Which domains are operationally critical and which are purely communicative?
    Daniel Strauss, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Geminis are social, communicative, and witty, so give your child a name that can keep up!
    Kara Nesvig, Parents, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • Under the Biden administration, for instance, material and rhetorical support for LGBTQ groups abroad was a prominent element of American diplomacy.
    Ari Shaw, Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2025
  • These sections weren’t just rhetorical flourishes from Murasaki.
    Andrew Paul Jul 16, Popular Science, 16 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/verbal. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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