Word of Mouth
“Word of mouth” refers to information or recommendations spread by people telling one another. Cambridge also records hyphenated “word-of-mouth” as an adjective before a noun, as in “word-of-mouth publicity.”
“Word of mouth” means information or recommendations passed from person to person by people telling one another.
Key details
Further guidance
Contextual Examples
“Most new customers heard about the shop through word of mouth.”
“The campaign benefited from strong word-of-mouth publicity.”
History Boundary
This guide explains the current documented meaning and does not claim a single inventor, exact coinage date, or absolute first use without direct historical evidence.
Meaning
information, recommendations, or publicity passed from person to person through people talking
Meaning Boundary
The expression describes interpersonal spread; it does not by itself say whether the information is accurate or whether the recommendation is positive.
Practical Use
Use “word of mouth” as a noun phrase for information, publicity, or recommendations passed from person to person; use “word-of-mouth” attributively before a noun.
Tone Boundary
Neutral and common in business and everyday writing. Keep the hyphenation tied to grammatical role.
Usage Boundary
Use “word of mouth” as the noun phrase; the hyphenated form “word-of-mouth” is commonly used attributively before another noun.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Word-of-mouth — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Current dictionary meanings and noun/adjective usage of word of mouth / word-of-mouth.