preverbal
adjective
pre·ver·bal
(ˌ)prē-ˈvər-bəl 
1
: occurring before the verb
2
: having not yet acquired the faculty of speech
a preverbal child
Examples of preverbal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Celina Celina played in the 4A state semifinals last season and ran into the preverbal buzz saw that was eventual champ Sinton.
—
Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2023
In the late 1970s cognitive scientists C. R. Gallistel and Rochel Gelman argued that children learn to count by mapping the number words in their language onto an innate system of preverbal counting that humans share with many other animals.
—Jacob Beck, Scientific American, 14 Feb. 2023
This suggests that preverbal memories are lost if they are not translated into language.
—Jeanne Shinskey, CNN, 13 Aug. 2021
The almost mournful hysteria of the pack echoes off the canyon walls, bypasses the rational brain, and reaches into something deeper, some preverbal place where the laws of men no longer obtain.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 30 Dec. 2020
Words alone are unlikely to have much impact on these deeper, preverbal regions.
—Matthew Green, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2017
The unit of currency for our right brain, conversely, would be the image, because the right brain is preverbal.
—Adam Rogers, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2009
See More
Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2023
In the late 1970s cognitive scientists C. R. Gallistel and Rochel Gelman argued that children learn to count by mapping the number words in their language onto an innate system of preverbal counting that humans share with many other animals.
—Jacob Beck, Scientific American, 14 Feb. 2023
This suggests that preverbal memories are lost if they are not translated into language.
—Jeanne Shinskey, CNN, 13 Aug. 2021
The almost mournful hysteria of the pack echoes off the canyon walls, bypasses the rational brain, and reaches into something deeper, some preverbal place where the laws of men no longer obtain.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 30 Dec. 2020
Words alone are unlikely to have much impact on these deeper, preverbal regions.
—Matthew Green, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2017
The unit of currency for our right brain, conversely, would be the image, because the right brain is preverbal.
—Adam Rogers, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2009
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preverbal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing preverbal
Dictionary Entries Near preverbal
Cite this Entry
“Preverbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preverbal. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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