vocal

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈvoʊ̯.kəl/ UK /ˈvəʊ̯.kəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #8927

Meanings

1

adj
Expressing your opinions openly and forcefully.

The group is very vocal about their beliefs.
2

adj
Relating to the voice or to singing.

The singer's vocal technique is excellent.
3

noun
The sung part of a piece of music.

Have you listened to the vocals I sent you?

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · expressing your opinions... outspoken

3 noun · the sung part of a piece of... vocal music

Word family

Forms vocallyvocals

Derived forms audiovocalbivocalcricovocalmonovocalnonvocalpolyvocalsemivocalsubvocalunvocalvocalesevocalicvocalise

Related forms vocable vocabulary vocalist vocalization vocalize vocation voice vowel

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

vocal music
music written to be sung, with or without instrumental accompaniment

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Vocal entered English in the Middle English period and belongs to the word family derived from Latin vox, “voice.”

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ-der. Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs Proto-Italic *wōks Latin vōx Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin vōcālisbor. Middle English vocal English vocal Late Middle English vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis (“uttering a voice, sounding, speaking”), from vōx (“a voice, sound, tone”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of vowel and vocalis. Compare Old French vocal.

vocal Middle English vōcālis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# vocal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈvoʊ̯.kəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈvəʊ̯.kəl/
**Frequency rank:** 8927

## Meanings
1. Expressing your opinions openly and forcefully.
2. Relating to the voice or to singing.
3. The sung part of a piece of music.

## Examples
- The group is very vocal about their beliefs.
- The singer's vocal technique is excellent.
- Have you listened to the vocals I sent you?

## Derived Forms
- audiovocal
- bivocal
- cricovocal
- monovocal
- nonvocal
- polyvocal
- semivocal
- subvocal
- unvocal
- vocalese
- vocalic
- vocalise

## Related Forms
- vocable
- vocabulary
- vocalist
- vocalization
- vocalize
- vocation
- voice
- vowel

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: vocal
- Root: vōcālis

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ-der. Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs Proto-Italic *wōks Latin vōx Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin vōcālisbor. Middle English vocal English vocal Late Middle English vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis (“uttering a voice, sounding, speaking”), from vōx (“a voice, sound, tone”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of vowel and vocalis. Compare Old French vocal.

## AI Etymology
Vocal is from Late Middle English vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis (“uttering a voice, sounding, speaking”), from vōx (“a voice, sound, tone”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of vowel and vocalis. Compare Old French vocal. In present-day use, it can mean expressing your opinions openly and forcefully, or relating to the voice or to singing. Derived formations include audiovocal, bivocal, cricovocal, monovocal, and nonvocal. Related vocabulary includes vocable, vocabulary, vocalist, vocalization, and vocalize.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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