oral

1 of 2

adjective

ˈȯr-əl How to pronounce oral (audio)
ˈär-
1
a
: uttered by the mouth or in words : spoken
oral traditions
b
: using speech or the lips especially in teaching the deaf
2
a
: of, given through, or involving the mouth
oral health
an oral vaccine
b
: being on or relating to the same surface as the mouth
3
a
: of, relating to, or characterized by the first stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory during which libidinal gratification is derived from intake (as of food), by sucking, and later by biting
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by personality traits of passive dependency and aggressiveness
orality noun

oral

2 of 2

noun

: an oral examination
usually used in plural

Examples of oral in a Sentence

Adjective She practices good oral hygiene by brushing her teeth at least twice a day. As part of her oral examination, she had to recite the names of all the presidents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Justices, conservative and liberal, seemed to fear in letting states decide to disqualify a national candidate on the grounds of Section 3 without clear federal legislation during oral arguments in February. Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 During oral arguments in February, SCOTUS justices expressed concerns about letting states decide who is eligible for the presidency, offering a preview of their final decision. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 During oral arguments, the court’s liberal justices had voiced concerns similar to those of the conservative majority that allowing one state to disqualify a national candidate would be a recipe for disorder and confusion. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 The unanimous decision came only weeks after the justices heard oral arguments in the politically sensitive case that put the high court in the middle of the 2024 presidential election. Carrie Johnson, NPR, 4 Mar. 2024 The decision was expected, since most of the justices raised concerns during oral arguments about allowing a lone state to disqualify a presidential candidate and what would follow in future presidential contests. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2024 In April, there will be oral arguments in at least two more Supreme Court cases: Joseph Fischer v. United States, on the sixteenth, and Trump v. United States, during the week of the twenty-second, which the Court agreed to take last Wednesday. Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2024 The justices agreed to hear the case in December and have set a hearing for oral arguments later this month. Daniel Gilbert The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Live audio of arguments before the Supreme Court has been available to the public since the pandemic, and recordings of the oral arguments have long been available. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Still, the most effective therapies for female pattern hair loss include minoxidil (usually topical, but low-dose oral is increasingly used), spironolactone, and finasteride. Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 27 Feb. 2023 However, it can also be transmitted via oral-to-genital contact. Ella Lee, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2021 Both in Britain and the United States, cabotegravir and rilpivirine can be prescribed and used after an initial oral (tablet) lead-in period. Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2021 The Ohio Supreme Court’s certification exam has two parts, one written and one oral. Cameron Fields, cleveland, 29 Sep. 2021 Due to its remoteness, Svan culture evolved over the centuries in isolation from the rest of Georgian lands, developing a unique oral-only language and traditions such as ritual beard cutting and blood feuds. Melissa Findley, National Geographic, 20 Nov. 2020 Astrid agrees, setting a few ground rules: no eye contact, no kissing after oral. Shannon Carlin, refinery29.com, 24 June 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin or-, os mouth; akin to Old Norse ōss mouth of a river, Sanskrit ās mouth

First Known Use

Adjective

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oral was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near oral

Cite this Entry

“Oral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oral. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

oral

adjective
ˈōr-əl,
ˈȯr-,
ˈär-
1
: uttered by the mouth : spoken
2
: of, relating to, given by, or near the mouth
oral hygiene
orally
-ə-lē
adverb

Medical Definition

1
a
: of, relating to, or involving the mouth : buccal
the oral mucous membrane
b
: given or taken through or by way of the mouth
an oral vaccine
an oral suspension of a drug
c
: acting on the mouth
oral diseases
2
: emphasizing lipreading and the development of vocal expression in teaching the deaf compare manual sense 2
3
a
: of, relating to, or characterized by the first stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory during which libidinal gratification is derived from intake (as of food), by sucking, and later by biting
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by personality traits of passive dependence and aggressiveness compare anal sense 2, genital sense 3, phallic sense 2
orality noun
plural oralities
orally adverb

Geographical Definition

Oral

geographical name

variants or Uralsk
ü-ˈrälsk How to pronounce Oral (audio)
yu̇-ˈralsk
city on the Ural River in western Kazakhstan population 202,161

More from Merriam-Webster on oral

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