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viva voce

[vahy-vuh voh-see, vee-vuh]
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adverb
  1. by word of mouth; orally.
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noun
  1. Also viva. (in British and European universities) the oral part of an examination.
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Origin of viva voce

1555–65; < Medieval Latin vīvā vōce with living voice, Latin, ablative of vīva vōx
Related formsvi·va-vo·ce, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

articulateverbaloperaticchoralpersonallysonantvocallingualsaidutteredvoicedmentionedexpressedcommunicatedtoldsinginglyricoralvowelsung

Examples from the Web for viva voce

Historical Examples

  • And it is all in document, as well as viva-voce (this means 'gossip,' dear).

    The Complete Prose Works of Martin Farquhar Tupper

    Martin Farquhar Tupper

British Dictionary definitions for viva voce

viva voce

adverb, adjective
  1. by word of mouth
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noun, verb
  1. the full form of viva 2
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Word Origin

C16: from Medieval Latin, literally: with living voice
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for viva voce

also viva-voce, "by word of mouth," 1580s, Latin, literally "living-voice," ablative of viva vox.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper