Verbal

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈvɜː.bəl/

Definitions

1. Relating to words, especially spoken rather than written
2. Communicated through speech rather than writing ; connected with the use or structure of words
3. Conveyed by talking instead of writing ; pertaining to the form or content of language

Etymology: The adjective "verbal" carries a small trap: in Latin, "verbum" meant "word" and nothing more, so the Late Latin "verbālis" meant "belonging to a word" in the sense of relating to words as units of language. That sense is the root of the English meaning "spoken rather than written," which is the opposite of what many readers would guess from the Latin-looking form alone. Put simply, a "verbal" agreement is one made by word of mouth, while a "written" one requires paper. The word reached English by way of Old French "verbal," which had already taken the Late Latin form. The adjective is a plain formation: "verb," from Latin "verbum," plus the suffix "-al," meaning "pertaining to." The surprise lies less in the origin than in the path: the Latin "verbum" gave English "verb" as a grammatical term, but the adjective went its own way, toward speech itself rather than toward grammar.

Synonyms: spoken, oral, linguistic, worded, communicative

Antonyms: nonverbal, silent, written