Standard Lemma guide

non-verbal

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌnɒnˈvɜː.bl̩/
  • General-American: nŏn-vûrʹ-bəl
  • General-American: /ˌnɑnˈvɝ.bl̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)bəl
  • CMU ARPABET: N AA0 N V ER1 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

In a form other than written or spoken words, such as gestures, facial expressions or body language.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or relating to a word that belongs to any part of speech other than that of verbs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, rare

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Unable to speak.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A sound, gesture, etc. that is not a word.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From non- + verbal.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: невэрбальны (njeverbalʹny) — other than written or spoken words
  • Belarusian: невярбальны (njevjarbalʹny) — other than written or spoken words
  • Belarusian: няслоўны (njaslówny) — other than written or spoken words
  • Chinese Mandarin: 非言语的 — other than written or spoken words
  • Czech: mimoslovní — other than written or spoken words
  • Czech: neverbální — other than written or spoken words
  • Dutch: non-verbaal — other than written or spoken words
  • Finnish: sanaton — other than written or spoken words
  • French: non-verbal — other than written or spoken words
  • Galician: non verbal — other than written or spoken words
  • German: nonverbal — other than written or spoken words
  • Hungarian: nonverbális — other than written or spoken words
  • Polish: niewerbalny — other than written or spoken words
  • Romanian: neverbal — other than written or spoken words
  • Russian: неслове́сный (neslovésnyj) — other than written or spoken words
  • Russian: неверба́льный (neverbálʹnyj) — other than written or spoken words
  • Swedish: icke-verbal — other than written or spoken words
  • Ukrainian: безслі́вний (bezslívnyj) — other than written or spoken words
  • Ukrainian: неверба́льний (neverbálʹnyj) — other than written or spoken words
  • Welsh: aneiriol — other than written or spoken words
Real reading context

non-verbal in complete knowledge articles