verbal

> verbal and oral
verbal and oral are liable to be confused. Oral means "expressed in speech", as in "an oral, rather than a written examination". Verbal means "expressed in words", as in "He asked for an instruction diagram but he was given verbal instructions" and "They were going to stage a protest match but they settled for a verbal protest". It is also used to mean "referring to the spoken word, expressed in speech", as in "a verbal agreement". Because of these two possible meanings, the use of verbal can lead to ambiguity. In order to clarify the situation, oral should be used when "expressed in speech" is meant. Verbal can also mean referring to verbs, as in "verbal endings". For more information on oral see aural.