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.
Coffin and co-screenwriter Brian Lynch’s nearly nonverbal comedy treats today’s youth with the same respect that Charlie Chaplin did their great-grandparents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Court reporters—who often rely on nonverbal cues and work with traumatized witnesses—are an example of AI’s limitations in replacing human skill in the real world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
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
It may omit relevant information while summarizing, mix up who is speaking and misinterpret context—such as missing nonverbal cues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
“Do you remember me telling you we are practicing nonverbal spells, Potter?”
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.
