BY WORD OF MOUTH

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does by word of mouth mean? 

• BY WORD OF MOUTH (adverb)
  The adverb BY WORD OF MOUTH has 2 senses:

1. orally

2. by spoken rather than written means

  Familiarity information: BY WORD OF MOUTH used as an adverb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BY WORD OF MOUTH (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Orally

Synonyms:

by word of mouth; viva voce

Context example:

I heard it viva voce

Sense 2

Meaning:

By spoken rather than written means

Synonyms:

by word of mouth; orally

Context example:

these stories were transmitted by word of mouth

 Context examples 

The man who wrote it could not have taken it; otherwise, of course, he might have delivered his own message by word of mouth.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He had nothing to urge against it, but still resisted the idea of a letter of proper submission; and therefore, to make it easier to him, as he declared a much greater willingness to make mean concessions by word of mouth than on paper, it was resolved that, instead of writing to Fanny, he should go to London, and personally intreat her good offices in his favour.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Elinor had just been congratulating herself, in the midst of her perplexity, that however difficult it might be to express herself properly by letter, it was at least preferable to giving the information by word of mouth, when her visitor entered, to force her upon this greatest exertion of all.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)