I. ˈvōkəl adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin vocalis, from voc-, vox voice + -alis -al — more at voice
1.
a. : uttered by the voice (as in speech or song) : oral
silent and vocal prayers
by gestures or vocal communication
b. : consisting of or characterized by tone produced in the larynx : uttered with voice rather than breath : voiced , sonant , intonated
2.
a. : relating to, composed or arranged for, or sung by the human voice with or without accompaniment
vocal music
vocal technique
— compare instrumental
b. : of or devoted to singing
a recital of vocal students
organized a vocal group to sing his composition
3. : vocalic
4.
a. : having or exercising the power of producing voice, speech, or sound
all vocal beings hymned their equal God — Alexander Pope
our harps, no longer vocal now — Charles Wesley
the brook vocal , with here and there a silence — Alfred Tennyson
b. : expressive as if by speech
not that she made a fuss, but her back was most extraordinarily vocal — Willa Cather
c. : full of the sound of voices : resounding
forests, vocal with the songs of many birds — American Guide Series: Washington
d. : given to expressing oneself freely or insistently : outspoken
the islanders are, by nature, highly vocal , and quite a few have reputations … as street-corner orators — New Yorker
vocal in support of his party's candidate
one way of proving that you are a good security risk is to be vocal and aggressive about your patriotism — H.S.Commager
e. : formulated and expressed in words
make vocal the aspiration of decent Americans for a just and lasting peace — Bruce Bliven b. 1889
the demand for special-training courses has not yet become vocal — H.P.Hammond
5. : of, relating to, or resembling the voice
vocal dysfunction due to a throat infection
vocal tone
the organ had been … the vehicle of sacred music because of the sustained and vocal character of its tone — A.E.Wier
6. : concerned with the production of voice
the vocal tract
Synonyms:
articulate , fluent , eloquent , voluble , glib : vocal applies to freely speaking out, usually forcefully, insistently, or emphatically
our most vocal theologians — one might almost say, most vociferous — are either at the humanist left or the neoorthodox right — W.L.Sperry
this instantaneous indignation of the most impulsive and vocal of men — H.L.Mencken
articulate may suggest exact, distinct, or fluent and unmistakable expression in words
the deepest intuitions of a race are deposited in its art; no criticism can make these wholly articulate — Laurence Binyon
perhaps the most articulate and effective champion of human freedom in post-Waterloo Europe — P.G.Trueblood
fluent suggests, sometimes depreciatively, a facile, copious flow of words
rage was making him fluent; the words came easily, in a rush — Aldous Huxley
not a fluent talker. He seemed to express himself with difficulty — W.S.Maugham
eloquent may suggest easy expressive delivery of fervent, moving, or persuasive language
the eloquent arguments delivered about the wording of each phrase of the Constitution
voluble suggests fast utterance, sometimes inspired by protest or enthusiastic interest, that is hard to stop
a voluble person, but at last the flow of words stopped — Ellen Glasgow
she was voluble, however, on the subject of divine punishment, and it was with difficulty that Vance stemmed her oracular stream of words — W.H.Wright
glib suggests ready facile utterance unembarrassed by the speaker's lack of depth, knowledge, wisdom, sincerity, or honesty
in some colonies any glib -tongued man with a pleasing personality could induce men to enlist under him as captain — Allan Nevins & H.S.Commager
a suspect who is a glib talker, who runs wild with his tongue and apparently gives out with all sorts of information — Lou Richter
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a vocal sound
2. : a musical composition for or performance by the human voice with or without accompaniment : song
arranges his own vocals
puts down his horn and takes the vocals — Wilder Hobson
— compare instrumental