vocal

American  

[voh-kuhl] / ˈvoʊ kəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or uttered with the voice.

   the vocal mechanism;

   vocal criticism.

2. rendered by or intended for singing.

   vocal music.

3. having a voice.

   A dog is a vocal, but not a verbal, being.

4. giving forth sound with or as with a voice.

5. inclined to express oneself in words, especially copiously or insistently.

   a vocal advocate of reform.

   Synonyms:

   outspoken, vociferous

6. Phonetics.

   1. vocalic.

   2. voiced.

---

noun

1. a vocal sound.

2. a musical piece for a singer, usually with instrumental accompaniment.

vocal British  

/ ˈvəʊkəl, vəʊˈkælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designed for the voice

   vocal music

2. produced or delivered by the voice

   vocal noises

3. connected with an attribute or the production of the voice

   vocal organs

4. frequently disposed to outspoken speech, criticism, etc

   a vocal minority

5. full of sound or voices

   a vocal assembly

6. endowed with a voice

7. eloquent or meaningful

8. phonetics

   1. of or relating to a speech sound

   2. of or relating to a voiced speech sound, esp a vowel

---

noun

1. a piece of jazz or pop music that is sung

2. a performance of such a piece of music

Other Word Forms

• nonvocal adjective
• nonvocally adverb
• vocality noun
• vocally adverb
• vocalness noun

Etymology

Origin of vocal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin vōcālis, equivalent to vōc- (stem of vōx ) voice + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

In the case of the title track, he’s come up with a melody for the poem and a vocal attack that impressively splits the difference between the spoken and the sung.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

In the film, the singer explained how SPS causes a vocal strain that makes it difficult for her to perform.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

However, the condition worsened, "sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to," she told NBC News.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

“We’ve been very, very vocal on our aim to build a large-scale quantum computer by 2029 or 2030,” Weedbrook said.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

A recent influx of Hungarian Jews into our neighborhood had swelled their ranks, and they formed a small but highly vocal element of the school’s student population.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Related Words

• articulate
• blunt
• eloquent
• expressive
• forthright
• outspoken
• strident
• vociferous