adj
Meaning 1
Of, pertaining to, or resembling the human voice or speech.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- vocal problems
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
vocal
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.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvəʊ̯.kəl/
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Received-Pronunciation: [ˈvəʊ̯.kl̩]
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Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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General-American: /ˈvoʊ̯.kəl/
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General-American: /ˈvɔʊ̯.kəl/
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General-American: [ˈvoʊ̯.kl̩]
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General-American: [ˈvɔʊ̯.kl̩]
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Australian: /ˈvəʉ̯.kəl/
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Australian: [ˈvəʉ̯.kl̩]
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rhymes with -əʊkəl
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CMU ARPABET: V OW1 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Of, pertaining to, or resembling the human voice or speech.
Used in the production of speech sounds.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
Examples
- vocal apparatus
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Of, pertaining to, or resembling the human voice or speech.
Relating to, composed or arranged for, or sung by the human voice.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Of, pertaining to, or resembling the human voice or speech.
Consisting of, or characterized by, voice, or tone produced in the larynx, which may be modified, either by resonance, as in the case of the vowels, or by obstructive action, as in certain consonants, such as v, l, etc., or by both, as in the nasals m, n, ng.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sonant, intonated, voiced
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Of, pertaining to, or resembling the human voice or speech.
Synonym of vocalic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: vocalic
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 6
Uttered or modulated by the voice; expressed in words.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- vocal melody, vocal prayer, vocal worship
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oral, audible
Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent, voiceless
adj
Meaning 7
Uttered or modulated by the voice; expressed in words.
Expressing opinions or feelings freely, loudly, or insistently.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- The protesters were very vocal in their message to the mayor.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oral, audible, outspoken, loud
Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent, voiceless
adj
Meaning 8
Uttered or modulated by the voice; expressed in words.
Having or exercising the power of producing voice, speech, or sound.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oral, audible, spoken
Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent, voiceless
adj
Meaning 9
Uttered or modulated by the voice; expressed in words.
Synonym of expressive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oral, audible, expressive
Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent, voiceless
adj
Meaning 10
Uttered or modulated by the voice; expressed in words.
Full of voices.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oral, audible, resounding
Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent, voiceless
noun
Meaning 11
A vocal sound; specifically, a purely vocal element of speech, unmodified except by resonance; a vowel or a diphthong; a tonic element; a tonic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
A part of a piece of music that is sung.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: song
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 13
A part of a piece of music that is sung.
A musical performance involving singing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: acting, broadcasting, entertainment, film, lifestyle, media, music, television, theater
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: song
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 14
A man in the Roman Catholic Church who has a right to vote in certain elections.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: Catholicism, Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 15
having or using the power to produce speech or sound
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- vocal organs
- all vocal beings hymned their praise
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 16
relating to or designed for or using the singing voice
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- vocal technique
- the vocal repertoire
- organized a vocal group to sing his compositions
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: instrumental
adjective satellite
Meaning 17
given to expressing yourself freely or insistently
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- outspoken in their opposition to segregation
- a vocal assembly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: outspoken
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 18
full of the sound of voices
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a playground vocal with the shouts and laughter of children
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 19
a short musical composition with words
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a successful musical must have at least three good songs
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: song
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: musical composition, opus, composition, piece, piece of music
Narrower terms: religious song, anthem, aria, ballad, lay, barcarole, barcarolle, ditty, dirge, coronach, lament, requiem, threnody, drinking song, folk song, folksong, folk ballad, lied, love song, love-song, lullaby, cradlesong, berceuse, oldie, golden oldie, partsong, prothalamion, prothalamium, roundelay, scolion, banquet song, serenade, torch song, work song
noun
Meaning 20
music intended to be performed by one or more singers, usually with instrumental accompaniment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: vocal music
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: music
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wekw-der. Proto-Indo-European *wṓkws Proto-Italic *wōks Latin vōx Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin vōcālisbor. Middle English vocal English vocal Late Middle English vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis (“uttering a voice, sounding, speaking”), from vōx (“a voice, sound, tone”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of vowel and vocalis. Compare Old French vocal.
Across languages
Translations
104 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Albanian: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Arabic: صَوْتِيّ (ṣawtiyy) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Armenian: վոկալ (vokal) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Azerbaijani: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Belarusian: вака́льны (vakálʹny) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Belarusian: галасавы́ (halasavý) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Bengali: কণ্ঠ্য (konṭṭho) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Bulgarian: вока́лен (vokálen) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Bulgarian: гласов (glasov) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Catalan: vocal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Czech: hlasový — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Czech: vokální — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Dutch: vocal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Esperanto: vokalo — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Finnish: laulu — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- French: vocal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Galician: vocal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Georgian: ვოკალური (voḳaluri) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Georgian: სახმო (saxmo) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- German: stimmhaft — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- German: stimmlich — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Greek: φωνητικός (fonitikós) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Ancient Greek: φθεγκτικός (phthenktikós) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Hindi: स्वर (svar) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Hungarian: vokál — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Indonesian: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Indonesian: lisan — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Irish: gutha — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Italian: vocale — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Kannada: ಉಚ್ಚಾರದ (uccārada) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Kazakh: вокалды (vokaldy) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Kazakh: вокалдық (vokaldyq) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Latvian: vokāls — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Latvian: balss — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Macedonian: гла́совен (glásoven) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Malay: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Maltese: vokali — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Norwegian: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Polish: głosowy — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Polish: wokalny — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Portuguese: vocal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Portuguese: vocálico — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Russian: вока́льный (vokálʹnyj) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Russian: голосово́й (golosovój) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Slovak: vokálny — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Slovak: hlasový — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Slovene: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Spanish: vocal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Swahili: mwimbaji — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Swedish: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Tagalog: ukol sa tinig — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Tagalog: pantinig — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Turkish: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Turkmen: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Ukrainian: вока́льний (vokálʹnyj) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Ukrainian: голосови́й (holosovýj) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Urdu: آواز دار (āvāz dār) — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Uzbek: vokal — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Vietnamese: nói to tiếng — of or pertaining to the voice or speech
- Finnish: vokaali — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Georgian: ვოკალური (voḳaluri) — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Hungarian: magánhangzói — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Indonesian: vokal — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Korean: 보컬 부분 (bokeol bubun) — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Macedonian: гла́сен (glásen) — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Portuguese: vocálico — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Russian: гла́сный (glásnyj) — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Swedish: vokal — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Vietnamese: nói lớn tiếng — characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
- Albanian: vokal — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Bengali: গেয় (geẏo) — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Bulgarian: вокален (vokalen) — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Catalan: vocal — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Dutch: stem — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Finnish: laulu — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Galician: vocal — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Georgian: ვოკალური (voḳaluri) — uttered or modulated by the voice
- German: mündlich — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Japanese: 有言の (yūgen no) — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Kannada: ಧ್ವನಿ (dhvani) — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Macedonian: во́кален (vókalen) — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Portuguese: vocal — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Russian: вока́льный (vokálʹnyj) — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Spanish: vocal — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Swedish: vokal — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Tagalog: maabla — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Welsh: llafar — uttered or modulated by the voice
- Finnish: äänekäs — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Georgian: ხმამაღალი (xmamaɣali) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Georgian: ხმაურიანი (xmauriani) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Georgian: ხმიანი (xmiani) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Georgian: მყვირალა (mq̇virala) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- German: lautstark — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- German: laut — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Hebrew: קוֹלָנִי (qolaní) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Japanese: 有言の (yūgen no) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Japanese: 物言う (monoiu) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Macedonian: гла́сен (glásen) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Macedonian: зву́чен (zvúčen) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Russian: гро́мкий (grómkij) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Russian: зву́чный (zvúčnyj) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Russian: шу́мный (šúmnyj) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Russian: крикли́вый (kriklívyj) — expressing opinions or feelings freely
- Vietnamese: nói lớn tiếng — expressing opinions or feelings freely
Real reading context