oral

adjective \ ˈȯr-əl , ˈär- \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Examples: oral in a Sentence

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

Instead, the case will go to oral arguments in August.

— jessica boehm, azcentral, "Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio sues the city, subpoenas fellow council members," 8 June 2018
The 5th Circuit Court heard their oral arguments Tuesday on whether appeals can move forward.

— kathleen joyce, Fox News, "Federal appeals court weighs if Texas inmate who ate his eye is mentally fit for execution," 7 June 2018
The Oregon Supreme Court can also expedite the process at the justices' discretion by shortening response deadlines or bypassing oral arguments, given that the signature deadline is near.

— corlyn voorhees, OregonLive.com, "Oregon Supreme Court challenge to gun control ballot wording may hobble effort," 6 June 2018
The governor asked in documents filed late Tuesday that Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. appoint a special judge to preside over the case and that oral arguments scheduled to be heard by Shepherd on Thursday be postponed.

— tom loftus, The Courier-Journal, "Matt Bevin takes fight with judge in pension case to higher office," 6 June 2018
The Reds appealed the BTA decision to the Supreme Court, which will hear oral argument in the case.

— dave clark, Cincinnati.com, "Ohio Supreme Court to consider whether Reds' giveaways should be taxed," 5 June 2018
But Kennedy cited them during the oral argument in December.

— david g. savage, latimes.com, "Supreme Court rules for Christian cake baker but voices support for gay rights too," 4 June 2018
Both sides focused on these issues during oral arguments in December.

— matt ford, The New Republic, "Why Trump Should Worry About the Supreme Court’s Cakeshop Ruling," 4 June 2018
The court’s rules say that, absent extraordinary circumstances, a decision is made a maximum of 90 days after oral arguments.

— david garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Supreme Court questions legality of San Diego pension cuts during oral arguments," 29 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

oral Synonyms

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

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Education Terms

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

Oral

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

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

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

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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oral

Definition of oral

orality

orally

Examples of oral in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of oral

oral Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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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

ORAL Defined for Kids

oral

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orally

Medical Dictionary

oral

medical Definition of oral

orality

orally

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