oral

adjective

ˈȯr-əl How to pronounce oral (audio)
Definition of oralnext
1
as in vocal
expressed or communicated by voice a baby's crying is usually interpreted as an oral expression of distress

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in verbal
made or carried on through speaking rather than in writing lawyers for the plaintiff will be presenting oral arguments before the Supreme Court next week

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of oral The oral cavity also holds fungi, viruses and archaea, though bacteria account for the vast majority of what has been studied. — Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026 In a neighboring schoolhouse, Ministry of Health staff offered all children the oral drug praziquantel, which can both prevent and treat the disease. — William McCarthy, NPR, 4 July 2026 At the Supreme Court During the oral argument, lawyer Paul Clement, representing Monsanto, claimed that Missouri was trying to require a different label than federal law allows, and that the company could not have added a cancer warning on its own. — Sarah J. Morath, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 Cyclosporiasis is treated with the oral antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), commonly sold as Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim, taken for 10 days, according to the CDC. — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for oral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oral
  1. vocal
  2. verbal
  3. spoken
  4. voiced
  5. uttered
Adjective
  • Since then, Emilie Kiser has been vocal on social media about water safety for children, urging parents to install pool fences and door alarms with working batteries, and ensuring children have swimming sessions.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • The Voice Season 29 winner Alexia Jayy will also have a special vocal performance.
    — Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 3 July 2026
Definition of vocal
Adjective
  • An additional 1,600, including those in humanities, social sciences and arts, later joined to argue that verbal reasoning and writing skills were lacking too.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • The agency claims Salgado Araujo refused to follow several verbal commands and rammed into one of its law enforcement vehicles.
    — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
Definition of verbal
Adjective
  • Because spoken words disappear as soon as they’re uttered, oral cultures value repetition to aid memory.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • The soft-spoken, mild-mannered 44-year-old Belgian Italian designer has, this year, been creative director of the French mega-brand for a decade.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
Definition of spoken
Adjective
  • Sanders, who co-directed the original movie and voiced Stitch, reprised his voice-over role in the 2025 update.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 July 2025
  • Several cast members returned, including co-writer and co-director Chris Sanders, who created and voiced Stitch.
    — Jordana Comiter, People.com, 24 May 2025
Definition of voiced
Adjective
  • For all their speed-to-market and trend obsessions, fashion companies struggle to update the systems and materials that go into their products, meaning churn reigns and improvements are consigned to that oft-uttered utopian destination known as ‘when there’s time’.
    — Brooke Roberts-Islam, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • Each line encourages a body to shift when uttered or even when read silently to oneself.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 May 2026
Definition of uttered

Browse Nearby Words

oracular
oral
orate
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Cite this Entry

“Oral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oral. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on oral

Nglish: Translation of oral for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oral

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