vocal

American  

[voh-kuhl] / ˈvoʊ kəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or uttered with the voice.

   the vocal mechanism;

   vocal criticism.

2. rendered by or intended for singing.

   vocal music.

3. having a voice.

   A dog is a vocal, but not a verbal, being.

4. giving forth sound with or as with a voice.

5. inclined to express oneself in words, especially copiously or insistently.

   a vocal advocate of reform.

   Synonyms:

   outspoken, vociferous

6. Phonetics.

   1. vocalic.

   2. voiced.

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noun

1. a vocal sound.

2. a musical piece for a singer, usually with instrumental accompaniment.

vocal British  

/ ˈvəʊkəl, vəʊˈkælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designed for the voice

   vocal music

2. produced or delivered by the voice

   vocal noises

3. connected with an attribute or the production of the voice

   vocal organs

4. frequently disposed to outspoken speech, criticism, etc

   a vocal minority

5. full of sound or voices

   a vocal assembly

6. endowed with a voice

7. eloquent or meaningful

8. phonetics

   1. of or relating to a speech sound

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

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noun

1. a piece of jazz or pop music that is sung

2. a performance of such a piece of music

Other Word Forms

• nonvocal adjective
• nonvocally adverb
• vocality noun
• vocally adverb
• vocalness noun

Etymology

Origin of vocal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin vōcālis, equivalent to vōc- (stem of vōx ) voice + -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

Anything vocal is related to speaking or singing, like your math class's vocal objections to a pop quiz or the vocal warm-ups that a jazz singer does before a big performance. The word vocal comes from the Latin vocalis ("sounding, sonorous, or speaking") and its root meaning of "voice." As a noun, it refers to a section of music that's sung, rather than played on an instrument: "The vocals in that song were beautiful, but the guitar was out of tune." There's also a figurative way to be vocal, by expressing your ideas passionately and freely: "She was vocal about her environmentalism."

Example Sentences

On the one hand, his vocal stylings are well-suited to affect a slightly country twang — by way of Liverpool, of course.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

“Typically with karaoke, the sound is kind of teeny, there’s not a lot of bass and the vocal is super hot and sitting on top too much,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

The American pontiff has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the Iran conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Oklo’s ambitious target of commercial power by the end of 2027 has drawn plenty of admirers on Wall Street as well as vocal opposition.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

The beams may connect notes that are all in the same beat, or, in some vocal music, they may connect notes that are sung on the same text syllable.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• articulate
• blunt
• eloquent
• expressive
• forthright
• outspoken
• strident
• vociferous