From Old French verbal, from Late Latin verbālis.

• (RP) IPA: /ˈvɜː.bəl/, [ˈvɜː.bɫ̩], enPR: vûrʹ-bəl
• (America) IPA: /ˈvɝ.bəl/, [ˈvɜ˞.bɫ̩], enPR: vûrʹ-bəl

verbal (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to words.

   Synonyms: wordish

2. Concerned with the words, rather than the substance of a text.

   Antonyms: substantive

3. Consisting of words only.
   • 1864, Henry Mayhew, German Life and Manners as Seen in Saxony at the Present:

     We subjoin an engraving […] which will give the reader a far better notion of the structure than any verbal description could convey to the mind.

4. Expressly spoken rather than written; oral.

   a verbal contract

   a verbal testimony

5. (grammar) Derived from, or having the nature of a verb.

   Synonyms: rhematic

6. (grammar) Used to form a verb.
7. Capable of speech.

   Antonyms: preverbal, non-verbal

   • 2005, Avril V. Brereton, Bruce J. Tonge, Pre-schoolers with autism, page 55:

     How do these language problems affect the behaviour of verbal children?

8. Word for word.

   Synonyms: literal, verbatim

   a verbal translation

9. (obsolete) Abounding with words; verbose.
   • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene iii]:

     You put me to forget a lady’s manners
     By being so verbal; and learn now, for all,
     That I, which know my heart, do here pronounce
     By th’ very truth of it, I care not for you

• (of or relating to speech or words) lectic

• (antonym(s) of “expressly spoken or written”): implied
• (antonym(s) of “expressly stated”): unsaid

• verbalism
• verbality

• French: verbal
• German: wörtlich, verbal
• Portuguese: verbal
• Russian: слове́сный
• Spanish: verbal

• Portuguese: verbal
• Russian: слове́сный

• French: verbal
• Italian: verbale
• Portuguese: verbal
• Russian: слове́сный
• Spanish: verbal

• French: oral, verbal
• German: mündlich, verbal
• Portuguese: verbal, oral
• Russian: у́стный
• Spanish: verbal

• Portuguese: verbal
• Russian: слове́сный

• French: verbal
• German: zeitwörtlich, verbal
• Portuguese: verbal
• Russian: глаго́льный
• Spanish: verbal

• Russian: глаго́льный
• Spanish: verbal

verbal

1. (countable, grammar) A verb form which does not function as a predicate, or a word derived from a verb. In English, infinitives, participles and gerunds are verbals.

   Synonyms: non-finite verb

2. (countable, UK, Ireland) A spoken confession given to police.
3. (uncountable, UK, Ireland, colloquial) Talk; speech, especially banter or scolding.
   • 2013, Lenny McLean, The Guv'nor:

     We'd give him a bit of verbal, out would come the bouncers, chucking their weight about, and it would all end in a right tear-up.

• Italian: deverbale
• Russian: нели́чная фо́рма глагол
• Spanish: verbal

verbal (third-person singular simple present verbals, present participle verballing, simple past and past participle verballed)

1. (transitive, British, Australia) To allege (usually falsely) that someone has made an oral admission.