vocal
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or uttered with the voice.
the vocal mechanism;
vocal criticism.
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rendered by or intended for singing.
vocal music.
-
having a voice.
A dog is a vocal, but not a verbal, being.
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giving forth sound with or as with a voice.
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inclined to express oneself in words, especially copiously or insistently.
a vocal advocate of reform.
- Synonyms:
- outspoken, vociferous
-
Phonetics.
noun
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a vocal sound.
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a musical piece for a singer, usually with instrumental accompaniment.
adjective
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of, relating to, or designed for the voice
vocal music
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produced or delivered by the voice
vocal noises
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connected with an attribute or the production of the voice
vocal organs
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frequently disposed to outspoken speech, criticism, etc
a vocal minority
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full of sound or voices
a vocal assembly
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endowed with a voice
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eloquent or meaningful
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phonetics
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of or relating to a speech sound
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of or relating to a voiced speech sound, esp a vowel
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noun
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a piece of jazz or pop music that is sung
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a performance of such a piece of music
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing vocal
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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Music - Introductory
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Lend Me Your Ears: Sound Words
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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.
Many singers would fix the pitch with technology, but Ms. Howard’s flawed vocal is uncannily expressive and human.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Another place where Dulli’s vocals are at the forefront is on “My Lover,” where the lead vocal has a stylized texture that feels like Dulli even if it doesn’t sound like him.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
To make up for its thin, drawl-heavy delivery, she relied on vocal power and note-bending to put a song across.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Smith has been increasingly vocal about his politics as he hints at a possible presidential run.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Back in high school, she was extremely vocal in pointing out hypocrisies in the curriculum, or inequalities in their disciplinary system—and nothing has really changed now that she’s a social ecology major at UC Irvine.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
