word-of-mouth

1 of 2

adjective

: orally communicated
also : generated from or reliant on oral publicity
word-of-mouth customers
a word-of-mouth business

word of mouth

2 of 2

noun phrase

: oral communication
especially : oral often inadvertent publicity

Examples of word-of-mouth in a Sentence

Adjective not having the money to run ads, the restaurant relies on word-of-mouth publicity
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Happy customers lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth. Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 Maximizing viewership, engagement, word-of-mouth and, for lack of a better word, hype means more in an era in which a brand’s image can supersede its substantive output. Maximo Bratter, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2025
Noun phrase
Once word of mouth started to spread that the club was improving, more and more athletes started to join. Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025 Crowdsourcing Consumer Information Another aspect of this that came up is the ability of the agents to put together their people’s experiences, and share them, to automate word of mouth. John Werner, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for word-of-mouth

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun Phrase

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of word-of-mouth was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Word-of-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/word-of-mouth. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

word of mouth

: spoken communication
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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