nonverbal
adjective
non·ver·bal
ˌnän-ˈvər-bəl 
: not verbal: such as
a
: not involving or using words
Still, this pope projects eloquence in his off-the-cuff remarks or even during the long interludes between speeches when he is engaged in nonverbal communication with individuals and crowds.—
John S. Driscoll
John S. Driscoll… psychological aggression refers to both coercive verbal behaviors (e.g., insulting or swearing at partner) and coercive nonverbal behaviors that are not directed at the partner's body (e.g., slamming doors or smashing objects).—Alan E. Kazdin et al.
Alan E. Kazdin et al.
b
: being other than verbal
… some hidden, nonverbal quality of her life that could only be alluded to in the act of painting.—Diane Armitage
Diane Armitage
c
: lacking or appearing to lack the ability to engage in speech
She finds she can communicate with nonverbal children using drum beats, for example.—Robert S. Greenberger
Robert S. GreenbergerExamples of nonverbal in a Sentence
Facial expressions are very important for nonverbal communication.
Recent Examples on the Web
Maintain eye contact, nod affirmatively, and use nonverbal cues to show attentiveness.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024
According to the complaint, Brown, who had lived with Platt for a half-dozen years until 2020 and had known him for about 14 years overall, returned almost daily to the New Berlin home on Glen Park Court, where Platt helped care for an adult relative of Brown's who is nonverbal and autistic.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024
For my daughter Cal, who was paralyzed, feeding tube dependent, and nonverbal, the therapy dogs and the music therapists brought her the most comfort.
—Maria Kefalas, STAT, 22 Dec. 2023
Riley, who has severe autism and is nonverbal, used to have multiple seizures a day.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024
Pain Scale is used for children over two months and others who are nonverbal.
—Jenny Sweigard, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2024
Although contact improv was sometimes practiced in front of an audience, Mr. Paxton intended it as both a form of artistic experimentation and a meditative mode of heightening perception and nonverbal communication.
—Brian Seibert, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024
The show, aimed at kids ages 5-8, teaches social language skills, like understanding nonverbal communication; taking others’ perspectives into account; and resolving miscommunication.
—Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024
As data grows, NLP, which has been focused on human language, will evolve to extend to nonverbal communication.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024
According to the complaint, Brown, who had lived with Platt for a half-dozen years until 2020 and had known him for about 14 years overall, returned almost daily to the New Berlin home on Glen Park Court, where Platt helped care for an adult relative of Brown's who is nonverbal and autistic.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024
For my daughter Cal, who was paralyzed, feeding tube dependent, and nonverbal, the therapy dogs and the music therapists brought her the most comfort.
—Maria Kefalas, STAT, 22 Dec. 2023
Riley, who has severe autism and is nonverbal, used to have multiple seizures a day.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024
Pain Scale is used for children over two months and others who are nonverbal.
—Jenny Sweigard, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2024
Although contact improv was sometimes practiced in front of an audience, Mr. Paxton intended it as both a form of artistic experimentation and a meditative mode of heightening perception and nonverbal communication.
—Brian Seibert, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024
The show, aimed at kids ages 5-8, teaches social language skills, like understanding nonverbal communication; taking others’ perspectives into account; and resolving miscommunication.
—Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024
As data grows, NLP, which has been focused on human language, will evolve to extend to nonverbal communication.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonverbal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nonverbal
Cite this Entry
“Nonverbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonverbal. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nonverbal
adjective
non·ver·bal
(ˈ)nän-ˈvər-bəl
1
: being other than verbal
nonverbal symbols
2
: involving little use of language
nonverbal tests
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