Definition of verbalnext
1
as in linguistic
of or relating to words or language the child didn't yet have the verbal skills needed to tell the doctor about the pain he was experiencing

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2
as in oral
made or carried on through speaking rather than in writing a verbal agreement carries less force than a written contract

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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 verbal Police said Newton resisted verbal commands and refused to let go of a bag that was in his possession. Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026 Learn physical techniques that teach you to escape or survive violent attacks and learn psychological awareness and verbal skills to feel empowered and safe. Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026 Didier recommended Le Répertoire de la Cuisine, by Louis Saulnier, originally published in Paris in 1914, a compendium of more than 6,000 names and brief verbal recipes that sum up the state of fancy French cooking (now known as fancy Freedom cooking) 90 years ago. Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026 Court records show that on April 17, 2025, a bus monitor saw Doty shove the child — who is non-verbal and has autism — from his lap, WDRB reported. Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for verbal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for verbal
Adjective
  • Nitsuh Abebe on Pete Hegeth’s linguistic obsession.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
  • However, a rare few have been developed into fully functioning living languages, some even by linguistic professionals and professors.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • For more persistent or severe infections, a stronger antifungal medication such as a single-dose oral tablet or a longer treatment regimen may be prescribed, says Mitchell.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Tourlas started with a nerve block to temporarily reduce Jack's pain, then prescribed an oral medication that had little effect.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • This will set you both up for a healthier and more communicative relationship or will save you from spending time with someone whose values don’t align with yours.
    Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The emerging field calls for more refined methods to determine whether fungal electrical signaling plays a functional, communicative role.
    Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The proliferation of letters in the New Testament is also typical of second-century literary activity; letters written as rhetorical models, using the epistolary form as an intimate vehicle for argument, are everywhere in the later period.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Its sustained support for armed proxy groups in the region — organizations that openly seek Israel’s destruction — demonstrates that this is not merely rhetorical.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/verbal. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

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