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.
Nonverbal sung chorales often shimmer or glower beneath spoken text.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
Nonverbal communication where we just know what each other is thinking and reacting off of it.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 11, 2022
"Nonverbal communication in politics is extremely important because it creates impressions among the public, and this can influence whether people trust a politician," said Vincent Denault, a communication researcher at the University of Montreal.
From Salon • Oct. 13, 2020
“It’s rooted in our primate psychology,” said David Givens, an anthropologist at Gonzaga University’s Center for Nonverbal Studies.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2020
Nonverbal spells were now expected, not only in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but in Charms and Transfiguration too.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
