Oral means relating to the mouth or spoken aloud rather than written down. When your dentist gives you an oral exam, she's checking your teeth, gums, and the inside of your mouth. When your teacher assigns an oral report, you'll speak your presentation to the class instead of writing it on paper.

An oral tradition is when stories, songs, or histories get passed down by people telling them to each other rather than writing them in books. Many ancient cultures preserved their knowledge through oral tradition: elders would tell stories to children, who would memorize them and tell them to their own children years later.

You might take oral medicine, which means swallowing it through your mouth instead of getting a shot. An oral agreement is a promise made by speaking rather than signing a contract, though these can be harder to prove later if people disagree about what was said.

When something is communicated orally, it's spoken rather than written. Your teacher might explain a math concept orally during class before you practice it on paper. The opposite of oral communication is written communication, and both matter: speaking helps us connect quickly and personally, while writing creates a permanent record.