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
Oliver Sacks2
: 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
Des W. ConnellExamples of orally in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rojas then straddled the corpse’s head and orally raped the body as the late-night R train rumbled through Manhattan, taking breaks when the doors opened to accommodate passengers.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2025
Image For Chisholm, a fiddler and composer whose music is strongly influenced by the natural world, an instrument like the Gregg fiddle — along with the Scottish landscape — provides continuity in an evolving tradition that is still largely transmitted orally.
—Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Vitamin C can be used topically or orally (by mouth) by eating foods or taking supplements.3
Research suggests topical vitamin C may be a better option for treating acne than taking it orally.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 May 2025
Black families in Western nations for the past 400 years had to carry the lore, orally and in writing, of Black or mixed-race explorers, inventors, scientists and cultural leaders at times when they were excluded from the mainstream.
—Rebecca R. Bibbs, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for orally
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Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2025
Image For Chisholm, a fiddler and composer whose music is strongly influenced by the natural world, an instrument like the Gregg fiddle — along with the Scottish landscape — provides continuity in an evolving tradition that is still largely transmitted orally.
—Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Vitamin C can be used topically or orally (by mouth) by eating foods or taking supplements.3
Research suggests topical vitamin C may be a better option for treating acne than taking it orally.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 May 2025
Black families in Western nations for the past 400 years had to carry the lore, orally and in writing, of Black or mixed-race explorers, inventors, scientists and cultural leaders at times when they were excluded from the mainstream.
—Rebecca R. Bibbs, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for orally
Cite this Entry
“Orally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orally. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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