oral

play

adjective \ ˈȯr-əl , ˈär- \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of oral

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

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orality

play \ȯ-ˈra-lə-tē, ō-\ noun

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orally

play \ˈȯr-ə-lē, ˈär-\ adverb

See oral defined for English-language learners

See oral defined for kids

Examples of oral in a Sentence

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 of oral from the Web

Residents say conditions have dramatically improved in Whiteclay since the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission closed the village’s four beer stores in April, a decision the Nebraska Supreme Court will review with oral arguments Tuesday.

— grant schulte, The Seattle Times, "Nebraska town awaits ruling on beer sales near reservation," 28 Aug. 2017
Tuesday’s oral arguments before the court are the latest step in a years-long legal dispute over funding.

— jonathan shorman, kansascity, "What you need to know as Kansas Supreme Court takes up school funding case Tuesday," 15 July 2017
If either side appeals the outcome, the case goes directly to the Supreme Court, which must either affirm, reverse or accept the case for oral arguments.

— josh hicks, Washington Post, "Judges in Md. redistricting case decry politically-motivated electoral map," 14 July 2017
Hubbard's lawyers asked the Court of Criminal Appeals to hear oral arguments.

— AL.com, "Tanker truck fire closes I-65 southbound near Satsuma," 6 July 2017
Yohana Desta here, with an exciting oral history of Meatballs, some tingling Spidey senses, and the latest on CBS’s Hawaii Five-0 nightmare.

— yohana desta, HWD, "The Making of Meatballs," 6 July 2017
In the early years, the program captured oral histories of WWII veterans.

— nancy stearns theiss, The Courier-Journal, "Oldham County WWII vet remembers Normandy invasion," 5 July 2017
The Supreme Court’s modifications will remain in force until at least October, when the justices return from their summer recess and hear oral arguments in the case.

— matt ford, The Atlantic, "Trump's Travel Ban Returns," 29 June 2017
The couple couldn’t stand at the end of oral arguments and quickly kiss each other on the mouth.

— spenser mestel, Longreads, "After Marriage Equality, to Party, or to Protest?," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of oral

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1597

See Words from the same year

oral Synonyms

Synonyms

vocal, spoken, uttered, voiced

Antonyms

nonvocal

Related Words

articulated, enunciated, pronounced, sonant; breathed, chirped, drawled, gasped, intoned, mouthed, mumbled, murmured, muttered, purred, shouted, spluttered, sputtered, squeaked, whispered

Near Antonyms

inarticulate; mute, quiet, silent; unexpressed, unsaid, unspoken, unuttered, unvoiced; surd, voiceless

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

oral

noun

Definition of oral

:an oral examination —usually used in plural

See oral defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of oral

1876

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

Oral

play

geographical name \ ȯ-ˈräl \

variants: or Uralsk play \ü-ˈrälsk, yu̇-ˈralsk\

Definition of Oral

city on the Ural River in western Kazakhstan population 202,161

ORAL Defined for English Language Learners

oral

play

adjective

Definition of oral for English Language Learners

: of or relating to the mouth
—used to describe a medicine that you eat or swallow
: spoken rather than written

oral

noun

Definition of oral for English Language Learners

: a test in which you answer questions by speaking rather than by writing : an oral examination

ORAL Defined for Kids

oral

play

adjective \ ˈȯr-əl \

Definition of oral for Students

1 :²spoken 1

an oral agreement

2 :of, involving, or given by the mouth

an oral medication

oral hygiene

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orally

adverb

Medical Dictionary

oral

play

adjective \ ˈōr-əl, ˈȯr-, ˈär- \

medical Definition of oral

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 2

b :of, relating to, or characterized by personality traits of passive dependence and aggressiveness — compare anal 2, genital 3, phallic 2

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orality

play \ȯ-ˈral-ət-ē, ō-\ noun plural -ties

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orally

adverb

Learn More about oral

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for oral Spanish Central: Translation of oral Nglish: Translation of oral for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of oral for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oral

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Origin and Etymology of oral

oral Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Anatomy Terms

oral

Definition of oral

First Known Use of oral

Other Education Terms

Oral

Definition of Oral

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ORAL Defined for English Language Learners

oral

Definition of oral for English Language Learners

oral

Definition of oral for English Language Learners

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oral

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orally

Medical Dictionary

oral

medical Definition of oral

orality

orally

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