Kirk Mahoney . com

I often hear “verbal” — as in “verbal agreement” — when people mean “oral”.

Problem:
The adjective “verbal” should not be used when one specifically is referring to something spoken.

Explanation:
The adjective “verbal” means of or pertaining to words. The primary definition of the adjective “oral” is uttered by the mouth.

Many will refer to “verbal agreements” when what they really mean is “oral agreements” (i.e., spoken agreements, not written agreements). Saying that something is a “verbal agreement” does not say much; it simply means that it is an oral or written agreement.

Solution:
Use “verbal” when you’re talking about words in general; use “oral” when you’re talking about spoken words.