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

McLaughlin, in a statement to NBC News, said the man had assaulted and verbally harassed a federal agent which led to his arrest. —Chad De Guzman, Time, 8 July 2025

The subpoena letter to Armstrong included a reference to one event in which an unnamed Cal Poly professor allegedly verbally harassed Jewish students on April 4, 2024 at a community Hillel and Mustangs United for Israel event. —Calmatters, Mercury News, 8 July 2025

Listening: Truly hearing what your colleagues are saying, both verbally and nonverbally. —Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025

Then in his 40s, he’s shown verbally accosting young employees, some of whom were teenagers at the time. —Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025

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