nonverbal
Britishadjective
Explanation
Something that's nonverbal doesn't use spoken words. Nonverbal communication might consist of hand gestures or facial expressions. Use the adjective nonverbal when you talk about a method of communicating without spoken language, or a person who isn't able to use speech. The word verbal means "in the form of words," from the Latin verbum, "word," so anything that's nonverbal happens entirely without words. You can probably tell from a friend's nonverbal cues that she's uncomfortable — her face or body language might give her away.
Vocabulary lists containing nonverbal
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"Face Facts: The Science of Facial Expressions" and "Silent Language"
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Anything But Typical
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“If you pay attention to nonverbal cues, you can kind of tell when someone is taking something personal.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Coffin and co-screenwriter Brian Lynch’s nearly nonverbal comedy treats today’s youth with the same respect that Charlie Chaplin did their great-grandparents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Everyone had to introduce themselves in a circle by stating their hobby and coming up with a nonverbal gesture to demonstrate it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
He’s become close to a father and his usually nonverbal son who can’t keep quiet at shows, asking questions and singing along.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
He found it maddeningly difficult to read people’s nonverbal signals; and their verbal signals he often took more literally than they meant them.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
