SINCE 1828
orally
adverb
oral·ly
| \ ˈȯr-ə-lē
, ˈär-\
, ˈär-\
Definition of orally
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
But in the mid-19th century, European folklorists began to record tales and traditions that had been passed down orally for generations. — Regina Hansen, WSJ, "The Ancient Magic of Elves," 21 Dec. 2018 Gilead scientists modified its chemical composition to create a drug that could be taken orally. — Melody Petersen, latimes.com, "Patients sue Gilead, saying drug company intentionally delayed safer HIV medicine," 9 May 2018 Taken orally or applied topically, the ingredient claims to slow the signs of aging and fend off environmental damage to skin, though there have been no large clinical studies on humans. — Allure, "The Skin-Care Glossary: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything You Need to Know," 17 Aug. 2018 Michael and Matthew, junior twins who have already orally committed to Ohio State, are separated by 57 minutes. — Philly.com, "Special bonds: Mothers and their athletes," 23 June 2018 Taken orally, tranexamic acid is designed to alleviate heavy periods, though the pill has also been found to reduce the appearance of melasma. — Rachel Marlowe, Vogue, "Meet The New Skin Brightening Ingredient That’s Taking on Dark Spots With Breakthrough Results," 7 Nov. 2018 Chung first issued the ruling orally in a telephone hearing on Aug. 1. — Heidi Groover, The Seattle Times, "Judge rejects King County plan to charge utilities rent for use of roads," 6 Sep. 2018 Another priest confessed to sodomizing and orally raping 15 boys. — Fox News, "Geraldo on Trump's war of words with Omarosa," 15 Aug. 2018 His condition makes a feeding tube (that little piece of plastic) necessary — getting in a day's worth of calories orally can be a challenge. — Sarah Schreiber, Good Housekeeping, "Dad Posts Incredible Shirtless Selfie With Son Who Has a Rare Heart Defect," 23 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orally.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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