• Verbal

    Pronunciation

    Origin

    From the Late Latin verbalis ("belonging to a word").

    Full definition of verbal

    Adjective

    verbal

    1. Of or relating to words.
    2. Concerned with the words, rather than the substance of a text.
    3. Consisting of words only.
      • MayhewWe subjoin an engraving ... which will give the reader a far better notion of the structure than any verbal description could convey to the mind.
    4. Expressly spoken or written.a verbal contract; verbal testimony
    5. (grammar) Derived from, or having the nature of a verb.
    6. (grammar) Used to form a verb.
    7. Capable of speech.
      • 2005, Avril V. Brereton, Bruce J. Tonge, Pre-schoolers with autism (page 55)How do these language problems affect the behaviour of verbal children?
    8. Word for word; literal; verbatim.a verbal translation
    9. (obsolete) Abounding with words; verbose.

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

    Related terms

    Derived terms

    Noun

    verbal

    (plural verbals)
    1. (grammar) A verb form which does not function as a predicate, or a word derived from a verb. In English, infinitives, participles and gerunds are verbals.

    Synonyms

    Verb

    1. (transitive, British, Australia) To fabricate a confession
      • 1982, John A. Andrews, Human Rights in Criminal Procedure: A Comparative Study, ISBN 9024725526, BRILL, page 128:"The problem of 'verballing' is unlikely to disappear, whatever the legal status of the person detained."
      • 2001, Chris Cunneen, Conflict, Politics and Crime: Aboriginal Communities and the Police, ISBN 1864487194, Allen & Unwin, page 116:"Condren had always claimed that he was assaulted and verballed by police over the murder he had supposedly confessed to committing."
      • 2004, Jeremy Gans & Andrew Palmer, Australian Principles of Evidence, ISBN 1876905123, Routledge Cavendish, page 504:"Moreover, given the risk of verballing, it is by no means apparent that it is in the interests of justice that the prosecution have the benefit of admissions that are made on occasions when recordings are impracticable."----
    © Wiktionary
    • © 2013 - 2023 All Rights Reserved