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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 verbal The foster child is a non-verbal 9-year-old, prosecutors said. Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025 One of the patients treated by Robertson has dementia and is non-verbal, per the indictment, and was prescribed oxycodone. Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025 This shows up in our expressions, non-verbal behavior, and words. Matt Fuchs, Time, 4 Nov. 2025 There’s physical language, but not verbal. Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for verbal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for verbal
Adjective
  • The exuberance and linguistic force of Midnight’s Children is still, after 44 years, a joy to encounter on the page.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The project stays anchored in his linguistic roots while aiming to connect with listeners beyond regional boundaries.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The documentary eschews traditional narrative structure in favor of Indigenous oral storytelling traditions, organizing its content into seven chapters with character archetypes rather than following a singular protagonist.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Metsera, founded in 2022, brings a pipeline of both oral and injectable treatments with different targets, including a drug targeting GLP-1 and another targeting another gut hormone called amylin.
    Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The uncertainty has been hard, even with suppliers being communicative and transparent.
    Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
  • That started in huddles, with a demonstrably more communicative Jokic.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Bannon’s fantasy functions as a rhetorical weapon—a way of probing how far the cult of personality can go before the rule of law pushes back.
    Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The rhetorical battle over blame and ending the federal government shutdown is getting hotter, at least for some in Arizona’s congressional delegation.
    Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/verbal. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on verbal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!