orally

adverb

oral·​ly ˈȯr-ə-lē 

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

The agency noted that the supplements, taken orally with tablets or drops, are not approved by the FDA. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 14 May 2025

He was groped over and under his clothes, forced to fondle and orally copulate the perpetrators and repeatedly raped. —Jeff McDonald, Mercury News, 12 May 2025

Researchers first looked at whether cinnamaldehyde is well absorbed when orally ingested by examining gastric and intestinal fluids. —Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 May 2025

In the years since, most State of the Unions have been delivered orally, but some have been done in writing akin to Jefferson's practice. —USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for orally

• aurally
• morally
• contributorily
• obligatorily
• discriminatorily
• mandatorily
• statutorily