verbally

adverb

ver·​bal·​ly ˈvər-bə-lē 

1

a

: in words : through or by the use of words

Yet it seems whenever somebody writes about him, Sheen gets verbally slugged for not driving around in some beat-up old Chevy.

—Hal Rubenstein

In Chapter 1 … Burge explains verbally, formally, and symbolically the system of notations to be used in the book.

—Datamation

b

: in spoken rather than written words

In the centuries before the Magna Carta, agreements were made and kept verbally.

—Janeen R. Adil

… John's will was not a written will. It was a nuncupative will, which means on his deathbed, John verbally told persons how he wanted his estate divided or dispensed.

—Sharon Tate Moody

… is intended to express, whether verbally or in writing, or in any other way, the real process of thought.

—Trewin Copplestone

Although some prospects arrive at these football factories verbally committed to a college, most are still free agents.

—Bruce Feldman

c

: with regard to words or language

Lessing has never been an elegant writer. At her better and best, she is cranky, … pleonastic, defensive, and verbally self-indulgent.

—Susan Lardner

Some toddlers walk early and talk late; others are verbally precocious but happily creep and crawl until the middle of the second year.

—Susan Ochshorn

2

: as a verb

a noun being used verbally

Examples of verbally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In one example, an on-duty Postal Service worker flipped off and verbally accosted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. —Houston Keene, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026

Johnson, who played for the Illini last season after verbally committing three years earlier, was booed throughout the game by Illinois fans. —CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026

Hammond said that, if true, those people were not being violent and simply protesting verbally, putting them in the WRAP could be improper use. —Jason Dearen and Jim Mustian The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Feb. 2026

However, neither city officials nor representatives from Nebius have verbally committed to prioritizing hiring Independence residents, despite several direct inquiries from residents at public meetings. —Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for verbally

• finale
• lethally
• alley
• alli
• bally
• calli
• challis
• dally
• galley
• galli
• lally
• mallee