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Definition of oral adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

oral

adjective
 
 
/ˈɔːrəl/
 
/ˈɔːrəl/
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  1.  
    [usually before noun] spoken rather than written
    • a test of both oral and written French
    • oral evidence
    • stories passed on by oral tradition
    Synonyms spokenspokenoral ▪ vocalThese words all describe producing language using the voice, rather than writing.spoken (of language) produced using the voice; said rather than written:
    • an exam in spoken English
    oral [usually before noun] spoken rather than written:
    • There will be a test of both oral and written French.
     spoken or oral?Both of these words can be used to refer to language skills and the communication of information: spoken/​oral French • a spoken/​oral presentation. In these cases oral is slightly more technical than spoken. Oral but not spoken can also be used with words such as tradition, culture and legends to talk about the way in which people pass stories down from one generation to the next, and in legal contexts followed by words such as evidence and hearing. vocal [usually before noun] connected with the voice:
    • vocal music
    • the vocal organs (= the tongue, lips, etc.)
    Vocal is used to talk about the ability to produce sounds using the voice, and is often used in musical contexts when referring to singing.    Patterns
    • spoken/​oral French/​English/​Japanese, etc.
    • spoken/​oral language skills
    compare verbalTopics Languagec1
  2. [only before noun] connected with the mouth
    • oral hygiene
    • oral sex (= using the mouth to stimulate somebody’s sex organs)
    • an oral contraceptive (= that is swallowed like medicine)
    Topics Bodyc1
  3. (phonetics) (of a speech sound) produced by allowing air to flow through the mouth but not the nose compare nasal
    4. Word Originearly 17th cent.: from late Latin oralis, from Latin os, or- ‘mouth’.
See oral in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee oral in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: oral

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