non-verbal

American

[nahn-vur-buhl] / ˌnɑnˈvɜr bəl /

adjective

(of communication) not spoken.
(of a person, especially someone with an intellectual or developmental disability) unable to speak or unable to use language.

noun

a physical act that communicates something without speech, especially a conventional one such as a gasp of surprise or a nod of agreement.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

non-verbally

adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

non-verbals

plural

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.

Gibney's son, Levi, is autistic and non-verbal with a severe learning disability.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026

Gary Newman's 14-year-old son Oliver is autistic and non-verbal.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026

Emily is non-verbal, tube-fed and is a wheelchair user who attends Parkview Special School in Lisburn.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Dorothy said Sienna initially attended a mainstream nursery because no specialist placements were available, despite being non-verbal and having significant additional needs.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Examiner manual for the SRA verbal and non-verbal forms; preliminary industrial edition. © 4Mar47; AA48058.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1975 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023