oral

adjective oh-RAHL Rare

Origin: Latin oralis, from os/oris (mouth)

Also means

verbal

Usage Note

Oral is invariable for gender (el examen oral / la prueba oral). It contrasts with escrito (written): examen oral vs examen escrito. In medicine, vía oral (oral route) contrasts with parenteral. Be careful: oral is a near-cognate with English, but Spanish also uses bucal for anatomical 'of the mouth' (higiene bucal = oral hygiene).

Examples

"El examen final será oral, no escrito."

Natural Translation

The final exam will be oral, not written.

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