orally

Imagine telling a story around a campfire. You share it orally, through spoken words rather than in writing. That is one common use of the word. We also use it for things taken in through the mouth, such as medicine taken orally. So the word can describe spoken communication or something done by mouth. You might hear about an oral agreement, an oral exam, or instructions to take a pill orally.

The word "orally" has two main uses. First, it can mean "by speaking" or "in spoken form" instead of in writing. For example, someone may answer a question orally in class, give instructions orally, or make an agreement orally rather than write it down. In this sense, it is closely connected with speech and spoken communication.

Second, it can mean "by mouth." This use often appears in medicine and health contexts. A doctor may tell a patient to take a drug orally, meaning that it should be swallowed rather than injected or applied in another way. This meaning comes from the basic idea of the mouth.

Both uses are common, and the intended meaning usually depends on the situation. In education, law, and everyday communication, orally often refers to speech. In medicine, it usually refers to taking something through the mouth. Historically, stories, poems, and knowledge were often passed down orally, from one person to another by speaking. Today, the word still helps show the difference between spoken and written communication, or between medicine taken by mouth and medicine given in some other way.

So if something is said rather than written, or taken through the mouth, it may be described as done orally. The context tells you which meaning is meant.