What does "labial" mean?
A consonant articulated by the lips.
Labial
/ˈleɪ.bi.əl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A consonant articulated by the lips.
- Grammar: labial is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accented, allophone, alveolar, apical.
- Useful contrasts: guttural, velar, lingual.
- Usage evidence: Female circumcision can cause labial adhesions.
How to use "labial"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "labial" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "labial" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "labial" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "labial" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "labial" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accented" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "labial", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A consonant articulated by the lips.
"The motions of the Tongue, Lips, Throat, Palate, & c. which go to the making of the ſeveral Alphabetical Letters are worthy inquiry, and pertinent to the preſent Inquiſition of Sounds: But becauſe they are ſubtil and long to deſcribe, we will refer them over, and place them amongſt the Experiments of Speech. The Hebrews have been diligent in it, and have aſſigned which Letters are Labial, which Dental, which Guttural, & c"
- 2 a consonant whose articulation involves movement of the lips wordnet
- 3 An organ pipe having a lip that influences its sound.
"All organ pipes are divided into two general classes, labial and lingual pipes. The main difference between the two classes is the manner by which the vibrations producing the sound are caused. In labial pipes the column of air entering the pipe under pressure is set in vibration by a fixed obstruction at the mount of the pipe. […] [T]he obstruction at the mouth […] causes the column of air to vibrate. In the lingual or reed pipe, the vibrations are caused by the air passing through a metal reed, which causes the tongue of the reed to vibrate, thereby setting up sympathetic vibrations in the column of air in the pipe."
- 4 Any of the scales bordering the mouth opening of a reptile.
Adjective
- 1 Of or pertaining to the lips or labia. not-comparable
"The wound that does not kill Christ is the magical labial wound; it is the seal of the resurrection and an expression of the myth of eternal recurrence."
- 2 Articulated by the lips, as the consonants b, m and w. not-comparable
- 3 On the side facing the lips. See mesial. not-comparable
- 4 Furnished with lips. not-comparable
"a labial organ pipe"
Adjective
- 1 relating to or near the female labium wordnet
- 2 of or relating to the lips of the mouth wordnet
Example
"Female circumcision can cause labial adhesions."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "labial"?
Common synonyms include: accented, allophone, alveolar, apical, apico-alveolar, apico-dental.
How do you use "labial" in a sentence?
Female circumcision can cause labial adhesions.
How do you pronounce "labial"?
Pronounced /ˈleɪ.bi.əl/.
Etymology
Borrowing from Medieval Latin labiālis (“of or pertaining to the lips”), from labium (“a lip”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix); equivalent to labium + -al.