orally

adverb

oral·​ly ˈȯr-ə-lē How to pronounce orally (audio)
ˈär-
1
: in spoken words : by means of speech
The exam will be given orally.
an orally presented argument
Deaf, signing parents will "babble" to their infants in sign, just as hearing parents do orally; this is how the child learns language …Oliver Sacks
2
: by way of the mouth
The medicine can be administered orally.
Another example is amygdalin, which is found in the pits of peaches and apricots. If consumed orally, it is approximately 40 times more toxic than by intravenous injection …Des W. Connell

Examples of orally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Some diabetes medications are taken orally, and others are injected. Kathleen Daly, Verywell Health, 30 June 2025 In a sign of how secretive this decision-making has become, most said their hospitals had not written down these new policies, only communicated them orally. Kavitha Surana, CNN Money, 12 May 2025 Humans communicate orally by combining a relatively small number of sounds (or phonemes) to make words, which are combined again to create sentences. Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 12 May 2025 Authorities said the body was orally and anally violated. Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for orally

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of orally was in 1608

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Cite this Entry

“Orally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orally. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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