oral
Americanadjective
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uttered by the mouth; spoken.
oral testimony.
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of, using, or transmitted by speech.
oral methods of language teaching; oral traditions.
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of, relating to, or involving the mouth.
the oral cavity.
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done, taken, or administered through the mouth.
an oral dose of medicine.
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Phonetics. articulated with none of the voice issuing through the nose, as the normal English vowels and the consonants b and v.
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Psychoanalysis.
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of or relating to the earliest phase of infantile psychosexual development, lasting from birth to one year of age or longer, during which pleasure is obtained from eating, sucking, and biting.
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of or relating to the sublimation of feelings experienced during the oral stage of childhood.
oral anxiety.
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of or relating to gratification by stimulation of the lips or membranes of the mouth, as in sucking, eating, or talking
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Zoology. pertaining to that surface of polyps and marine animals that contains the mouth and tentacles.
noun
adjective
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spoken or verbal
an oral agreement
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relating to, affecting, or for use in the mouth
an oral thermometer
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of or relating to the surface of an animal, such as a jellyfish, on which the mouth is situated
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denoting a drug to be taken by mouth Compare parenteral
an oral contraceptive
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of, relating to, or using spoken words
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phonetics pronounced with the soft palate in a raised position completely closing the nasal cavity and allowing air to pass out only through the mouth
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psychoanal
noun
Usage
See verbal.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of oral
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ōr- (stem of ōs ) “mouth” (cognate with Sanskrit āsya ) + -al 1
Explanation
The word oral means having to do with the mouth or speaking. When you give an oral report in school, you stand in front of the class and talk. Use the adjective oral to describe something that's spoken aloud, like an oral exam or an oral history passed between generations through bedtime stories. Oral is also good for referring to other things you do with your mouth — your dentist may drive you crazy talking about "oral hygiene," or keeping your teeth clean. The roots of the word oral go back to the Latin word for "mouth," which is os.
Vocabulary lists containing oral
Guts
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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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Reading: Literature - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
Nolan’s “Odyssey” engraves marvelous images onto the ancient oral poem.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Scientists have long known that oral bacteria are essential for converting nitrate into nitrite.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
In total, 48 witnesses gave oral evidence for this part of the inquiry in February and March 2025, including former health secretary Matt Hancock and cabinet minister Michael Gove.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
This is how Greek audiences in the fourth and fifth centuries BC enjoyed the aural delivery of poems shaped by a long tradition of oral storytelling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Ms. Washington let me turn the classroom into a pretend baseball field for my oral presentation on a famous inventor.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
Some schools had, however, considered holding orals and practical assessments remotely if possible.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2020
"It was a nice novel about a graduate student taking his orals to get his teaching credentials," he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2015
“Historically, Liverpool has been a blue-collar port city,” added Mr. Lee, 24, as thoughtful as if he were delivering his orals at graduate school.
From New York Times ● Apr. 16, 2014
If a student does poorly, the orals can be repeated.
From New York Times ● Aug. 27, 2012
He tells himself that it’s the stress—she’s been studying for her orals, holed up in her carrel at the library until nine o’clock most nights.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
