vocal

[ voh-kuhl ]

/ ˈvoʊ kəl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR vocal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of, relating to, or uttered with the voice: the vocal mechanism; vocal criticism.

rendered by or intended for singing: vocal music.

having a voice: A dog is a vocal, but not a verbal, being.

giving forth sound with or as with a voice.

inclined to express oneself in words, especially copiously or insistently: a vocal advocate of reform.

Phonetics.

noun

a vocal sound.

a musical piece for a singer, usually with instrumental accompaniment.Compare instrumental(def 6).

QUIZZES

"EVERYDAY" VS. "EVERY DAY" QUIZ: IS IT ONE WORD OR TWO?

An everyday activity is one you do every day. (Thanks, English.) Practice using "everyday," one word, and "every day," two words, in this fun quiz with … everyday example sentences!

Question 1 of 16

“Everyday" is an adjective that describes things that happen habitually or items that are normal items or events.

True

False

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of vocal

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin vōcālis, equivalent to vōc- (stem of vōx) voice + -ālis -al¹

SYNONYMS FOR vocal

5 vociferous, outspoken.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR vocal ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM vocal

vo·cal·i·ty

[voh-kal-i-tee] /voʊˈkæl ɪ ti/, vo·cal·ness, nounvo·cal·ly, adverbnon·vo·cal, adjective, nounnon·vo·cal·ly, adverb

non·vo·cal·ness, nounnon·vo·cal·i·ty, noun

Words nearby vocal

vocab, vocab., vocable, vocabulary, vocabulary entry, vocal, vocal cord, vocal cord nodules, vocal cords, vocal fold, vocal folds

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for vocal

I ended up developing a blister on one of my vocal cords, so that kinda sucked.
Deer Tick's John McCauley on Ten Years in Rock and Roll|James Joiner|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Jessen was named a Mormon bishop, but the appointment was met with vocal protests.
The Luxury Homes That Torture and Your Tax Dollars Built|Michael Daly|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa is a vocal proponent of gender diversity.
Tech’s Male ‘Feminists’ Aren’t Helping|Cate Huston, Karen Catlin|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One, from a short preview of her rehearsal performance, is that Williams certainly boasts the vocal chops to do the part justice.
The Cast of ‘Peter Pan Live!’ Knows You Hatewatched ‘The Sound of Music’|Kevin Fallon|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Cooke describes Joplin as being “always on the prowl and vocal about it.”
Janis Joplin’s Kozmic Blues|William O’Connor|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The ape's vocal cords, which now were Bentley's, were incapable of speech.
Astounding Stories, June, 1931|Various
Teachers of singing at present evince an attitude of skepticism toward new theories of the vocal action.
The Psychology of Singing|David C. Taylor
The vocal and instrumental combinations are undoubtedly happy and effective.
Verdi: Man and Musician|Frederick James Crowest
Mental agitation or severe colds can for a time deprive the singer of the use of his vocal organs, or seriously impair them.
How to Sing|Lilli Lehmann
Then, though only her lips moved, her vocal cords responded to her will.
The Readjustment|Will Irwin

British Dictionary definitions for vocal

vocal

/ (ˈvəʊkəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, or designed for the voicevocal music

produced or delivered by the voicevocal noises

connected with an attribute or the production of the voicevocal organs

frequently disposed to outspoken speech, criticism, etca vocal minority

full of sound or voicesa vocal assembly

endowed with a voice

eloquent or meaningful

phonetics

of or relating to a speech sound
of or relating to a voiced speech sound, esp a vowel

noun

a piece of jazz or pop music that is sung

a performance of such a piece of music

Derived forms of vocal

vocality (vəʊˈkælɪtɪ), nounvocally, adverb

Word Origin for vocal

C14: from Latin vōcālis possessed of a voice, from vōx 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

Medical definitions for vocal

vocal

[ vō′kəl ]

adj.

Of or relating to the voice.

Capable of emitting sound or speech.

vocal

adjective

noun

QUIZZES

"EVERYDAY" VS. "EVERY DAY" QUIZ: IS IT ONE WORD OR TWO?

Origin of vocal

SYNONYMS FOR vocal

OTHER WORDS FROM vocal

Words nearby vocal

Words related to vocal

Example sentences from the Web for vocal

British Dictionary definitions for vocal

adjective

noun

Derived forms of vocal

Word Origin for vocal

Medical definitions for vocal

adj.