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.
Her son, who is referred to as J.M. in the complaint, is nonverbal and autistic and has spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
He has reason to worry, genetically speaking: An older brother, already nonverbal, is in assisted living.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
Afterward, they completed standardized intelligence tests measuring verbal and nonverbal ability as well as perceptual reasoning.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2025
Some researchers and advocates have started using the term “profound” autism to describe cases among children with an IQ of less than 50 or who are minimally verbal or nonverbal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025
They have difficulty interpreting nonverbal cues, such as gestures and facial expressions or putting themselves inside someone else's head or drawing understanding from anything other than the literal meaning of words.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
