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

vocal

adjective
 
 
/ˈvəʊkl/
 
/ˈvəʊkl/
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  1.  
    [only before noun] connected with the voice
    • vocal music
    • the vocal organs (= the tongue, lips, etc.)
    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
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  2.  
    telling people your opinions or protesting about something loudly and with confidence
    • He has been very vocal in his criticism of the government's policy.
    • The protesters are a small but vocal minority.
    Extra Examples
    • a highly vocal opposition group
    • criticized by a small but increasingly vocal minority
    • women who are very vocal about men's failings
    Topics Opinion and argumentc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • become
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    • …
    preposition
    • about
    • in
    See full entry
    3. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin vocalis, from vox, voc-. Current senses of the noun date from the 1920s.
See vocal in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee vocal in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: vocal

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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