Standard Lemma guide

orally

adv · 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.

  • /ˈɔːɹəli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AO1 R AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

By mouth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • This medicine is taken orally. Swallowing a pill sure beats getting a shot every day.
  • Pleasure your partner orally and manually.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Spoken as opposed to written.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • I took the make-up test orally because my arm is still in a cast.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

by spoken rather than written means

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • these stories were transmitted by word of mouth

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: by word of mouth

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

(of drugs) through the mouth rather than through injection; by_mouth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he was administered the drug orally

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English oral Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English orally From oral + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: فَمَوِيًّا (famawiyyan) — by mouth
  • Bulgarian: през устата (prez ustata) — by mouth
  • Esperanto: buŝe — by mouth
  • Finnish: suun kautta — by mouth
  • French: oralement — by mouth
  • Galician: oralmente — by mouth
  • German: oral — by mouth
  • Icelandic: munnlega — by mouth
  • Polish: ustnie — by mouth
  • Portuguese: oralmente — by mouth
  • Portuguese: bucalmente — by mouth
  • Russian: ора́льно (orálʹno) — by mouth
  • Spanish: oralmente — by mouth
  • Swedish: oralt — by mouth
  • Arabic: شِفَاهِيًا (šifāhiyan) — spoken
  • Arabic: شِفَاهًا (šifāhan) — spoken
  • Bulgarian: устно (ustno) — spoken
  • Catalan: oralment — spoken
  • Crimean Tatar: şifayen — spoken
  • Finnish: suullisesti — spoken
  • French: oralement — spoken
  • Galician: oralmente — spoken
  • Galician: verbalmente — spoken
  • German: mündlich — spoken
  • Icelandic: munnlega — spoken
  • Polish: słownie — spoken
  • Polish: ustnie — spoken
  • Polish: werbalnie — spoken
  • Portuguese: oralmente — spoken
  • Portuguese: verbalmente — spoken
  • Russian: у́стно (ústno) — spoken
  • Spanish: oralmente — spoken
  • Spanish: de viva voz — spoken
  • Swedish: verbalt — spoken
  • Swedish: muntligt — spoken
  • Turkish: şifahen — spoken
  • Ukrainian: у́сно (úsno) — spoken
Real reading context

orally in complete knowledge articles