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

The film featured numerous scenes of LaBeouf verbally berating his students and occasionally getting physical with them. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026

Warner says that the Ellison camp had verbally agreed to boost its bid to $31 or higher if two the sides engaged, which WBD today has agreed to do. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026

Schultz doesn't communicate verbally much any more. —Ashley Milne-Tyte, NPR, 17 Feb. 2026

The Athletic reported on Friday that the north London side had verbally agreed a deal to appoint the former Juventus, Marseille and Galatasaray head coach, on a contract until the summer without an option to make the move permanent. —David Ornstein, New York Times, 13 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