vocal
Other forms: vocals
Anything vocal is related to speaking or singing, like your math class's vocal objections to a pop quiz or the vocal warm-ups that a jazz singer does before a big performance.
The word vocal comes from the Latin vocalis ("sounding, sonorous, or speaking") and its root meaning of "voice." As a noun, it refers to a section of music that's sung, rather than played on an instrument: "The vocals in that song were beautiful, but the guitar was out of tune." There's also a figurative way to be vocal, by expressing your ideas passionately and freely: "She was vocal about her environmentalism."
Definitions of vocal
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music intended to be performed by one or more singers, usually with instrumental accompaniment
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synonyms:
vocal music
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type of:
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music
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
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music
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a short musical composition with words
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synonyms:
song
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types:
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religious song
religious music for singing
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anthem
a song of devotion or loyalty (as to a nation or school)
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aria
an elaborate song for solo voice
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ballad, lay
a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
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barcarole, barcarolle
a boating song sung by Venetian gondoliers
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ditty
a short simple song (or the words of a poem intended to be sung)
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coronach, dirge, lament, requiem, threnody
a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
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drinking song
a song celebrating the joys of drinking; sung at drinking parties
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folk ballad, folk song, folksong
a song that is traditionally sung by the common people of a region and forms part of their culture
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lied
a German art song of the 19th century for voice and piano
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love song, love-song
a song about love or expressing love for another person
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berceuse, cradlesong, lullaby
a quiet song intended to lull a child to sleep
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golden oldie, oldie
a song that was formerly popular
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partsong
a song with two or more voice parts
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prothalamion, prothalamium
a song in celebration of a marriage
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roundelay
a song in which a line or phrase is repeated as the refrain
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banquet song, scolion
a song (sometimes improvised) sung by guests at a banquet
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serenade
a song characteristically played outside the house of a love interest
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torch song
a popular song concerned with disappointment in love
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work song
a usually rhythmical song to accompany repetitious work
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chant
a repetitive song in which as many syllables as necessary are assigned to a single tone
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Negro spiritual, spiritual
a kind of religious song originated by Blacks in the southern United States
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Christmas carol, carol
joyful religious song celebrating the birth of Christ
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anthem, hymn
a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
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keen
a funeral lament sung with loud wailing
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national anthem
a song formally adopted as the anthem for a nation
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arietta, short aria
a short aria
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minstrelsy
ballads sung by minstrels
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chantey, chanty, sea chantey, shanty
a rhythmical work song originally sung by sailors
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blues
a type of folksong that originated among Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century; has a melancholy sound from repeated use of blue notes
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fado
a sad Portuguese folksong
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madrigal
an unaccompanied partsong for 2 or 3 voices; follows a strict poetic form
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round, troll
a partsong in which voices follow each other; one voice starts and others join in one after another until all are singing different parts of the song at the same time
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belling, callathump, callithump, charivari, chivaree, shivaree
a noisy mock serenade (made by banging pans and kettles) to a newly married couple
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type of:
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composition, musical composition, opus, piece, piece of music
a musical work that has been created
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having or using the power to produce speech or sound“vocal organs”“all vocal beings hymned their praise”
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full of the sound of voices“a playground vocal with the shouts and laughter of children”
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Synonyms:
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loud
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
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loud
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given to expressing yourself freely or insistently
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relating to or designed for or using the singing voice“vocal technique”“the vocal repertoire”“organized a vocal group to sing his compositions”
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Antonyms:
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instrumental
relating to or designed for or performed on musical instruments
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instrumental
Pronunciation
US
/ˈvoʊkəl/
UK
/ˈvəʊkəl/
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