1
a
: of, relating to, or consisting of words
verbal instructions
b
: of, relating to, or involving words rather than meaning or substance
… a consistency that is merely verbal and scholastic.—
Benjamin N. Cardozo
Benjamin N. Cardozo
c
: consisting of or using words only and not involving action
verbal abuse
2
: of, relating to, or formed from a verb
a verbal adjective
3
: spoken rather than written
a verbal contract
4
: verbatim, word-for-word
a verbal translation
5
: of or relating to facility in the use and comprehension of words
verbal aptitude
: a word that combines characteristics of a verb with those of a noun or adjective compare gerund, infinitive, participle
Synonyms of verbal
Examples of verbal in a Sentence
Adjective
He scored well on the verbal section of the test.
They had a verbal exchange.
a verbal agreement to finish the work
We gave only verbal instructions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS 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
Physically frail, yet in full verbal command, Julian doesn’t talk to Lori so much as at her, pausing only to fire off questions that harden, in midair, into assumptions.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 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
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
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
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
Physically frail, yet in full verbal command, Julian doesn’t talk to Lori so much as at her, pausing only to fire off questions that harden, in midair, into assumptions.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 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
Cite this Entry
“Verbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbal. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
verbal
2 of 2 noun
: a word that combines characteristics of a verb with those of a noun or adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
