orality

American  

[aw-ral-i-tee, oh-ral-] / ɔˈræl ɪ ti, oʊˈræl- /

noun

Psychoanalysis.

1. the condition or quality of being oral; collectively, the personality traits characteristic of the oral phase of psychosexual development.

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orality British  

/ ɔːˈrælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the quality of being oral

2. a tendency to favour the spoken rather than the written form of language

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Etymology

Origin of orality

First recorded in 1660–70; oral + -ity

Example Sentences

“My Jim” has proved the perfect companion to Twain’s brilliant but problematic classic, and the audio production captures the inspired orality of Rawles’ writing.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 15, 2022

Her melodic poems, which embrace the orality of poetry and language, often touch on the natural world, which she uses as much more than just a setting.

From New York Times • Jul. 12, 2022

For the duration of the recording, the tension between orality and text is resolved.

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2013

CA: I was really struck by the importance of orality in your books, and how you use dialogue to report.

From Salon • Sep. 26, 2012

After the phase of orality, writing served both of them equally.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai