nasal

1 of 2

noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl 

1

: the nosepiece of a helmet

2

: a nasal part

3

: a nasal consonant

nasal

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of or relating to the nose

2

a

: uttered with the soft palate lowered and with passage of air through the nose (as with \m\, \n\, \ŋ\, \ōⁿ\, or \aⁿ\)

b

: characterized by resonance produced through the nose

3

of a musical tone : sharp, penetrating

nasality

nā-ˈza-lə-tē 

noun

nasally

ˈnā-zə-lē 

ˈnāz-lē

adverb

Examples of nasal in a Sentence

Adjective

a bottle of nasal spray

the nasal consonants and

the nasal vowels in French

Her voice is harsh and nasal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Enbumyst, a bumetanide nasal spray developed by Corstasis Therapeutics, is the first intranasal loop diuretic to be cleared for use in the US. —New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2025

Why did researchers test this nasal spray to prevent respiratory illnesses? —Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Researchers at Saarland University in Germany headed a clinical trial that found a nasal spray could reduce the risk of coronavirus infection by two-thirds. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025

Blowing against a closed nasal passage can also release pressure, especially on descent. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from nes nose, from Latin nasus — more at nose

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nasal

• hazel
• phrasal
• appraisal
• intranasal
• reappraisal

Kids Definition

nasal

1 of 2 noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl 

: a nasal consonant

nasal

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to the nose

2

a

: uttered with passage of air through the nose

the nasal consonants \m\, \n\, and \ŋ\

the nasal vowels in French

b

: marked by resonance produced through the nose

speaking in a nasal tone

nasality

nā-ˈzal-ət-ē 

noun

nasally

ˈnāz-(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

nasal

1 of 2 noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl 

: a nasal part (as a bone)

nasal

2 of 2 adjective

: of or relating to the nose

nasal inflammation

nasally

ˈnāz-(ə-)lē 

adverb