preverbal
adjective
pre·ver·bal
(ˌ)prē-ˈvər-bəl 
1
: occurring before the verb
2
: having not yet acquired the faculty of speech
a preverbal child
Examples of preverbal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Scientists have a lot of experience working with populations that don’t have language—studying preverbal infants or studying nonhuman animal species.
—
Gary Stix, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024
For a preverbal child, that usually means picking them up.
—Amanda Ruggeri, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2024
The almost mournful hysteria of the pack echoes off the canyon walls, bypasses the rational brain, and reaches into something deeper, some preverbal place where the laws of men no longer obtain.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 1 Feb. 2024
What’s more, Schlinger would have liked to see the researchers apply the test to younger, preverbal children.
—Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024
Celina Celina played in the 4A state semifinals last season and ran into the preverbal buzz saw that was eventual champ Sinton.
—Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2023
In the late 1970s cognitive scientists C. R. Gallistel and Rochel Gelman argued that children learn to count by mapping the number words in their language onto an innate system of preverbal counting that humans share with many other animals.
—Jacob Beck, Scientific American, 14 Feb. 2023
This suggests that preverbal memories are lost if they are not translated into language.
—Jeanne Shinskey, CNN, 13 Aug. 2021
Words alone are unlikely to have much impact on these deeper, preverbal regions.
—Matthew Green, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Gary Stix, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024
For a preverbal child, that usually means picking them up.
—Amanda Ruggeri, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2024
The almost mournful hysteria of the pack echoes off the canyon walls, bypasses the rational brain, and reaches into something deeper, some preverbal place where the laws of men no longer obtain.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 1 Feb. 2024
What’s more, Schlinger would have liked to see the researchers apply the test to younger, preverbal children.
—Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024
Celina Celina played in the 4A state semifinals last season and ran into the preverbal buzz saw that was eventual champ Sinton.
—Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2023
In the late 1970s cognitive scientists C. R. Gallistel and Rochel Gelman argued that children learn to count by mapping the number words in their language onto an innate system of preverbal counting that humans share with many other animals.
—Jacob Beck, Scientific American, 14 Feb. 2023
This suggests that preverbal memories are lost if they are not translated into language.
—Jeanne Shinskey, CNN, 13 Aug. 2021
Words alone are unlikely to have much impact on these deeper, preverbal regions.
—Matthew Green, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2017
Dictionary Entries Near preverbal
Cite this Entry
“Preverbal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preverbal. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share