Verbal

How to spell verbal

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce verbal

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does verbal mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to or expressed in spoken words rather than in writing or action.

Verbal in a sentence

• The landlord gave only a verbal assurance, with nothing in writing.

• The teacher offered verbal praise to the class before handing back the marked essays.

Where does verbal come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin verbum, which simply meant 'a word', and is the same root that gives us the grammatical term 'verb'. In late Latin the form verbalis described things 'consisting of or relating to words', and English borrowed it through French in the fifteenth century. Early use was tightly tied to language and grammar, but by the 1600s the sense had broadened to mean anything spoken aloud rather than written down, as in a verbal agreement. The spelling stays close to its Latin parent, so remembering 'verb' inside it keeps the first vowel honest. It is worth noting that the popular phrase 'verbal contract' technically means a spoken one, even though many people loosely use 'verbal' to mean simply 'in words'.

How the word is built

• verb- (from Latin verbum: word)
• -al (adjective suffix: relating to)