# Val

/ˈvæɫ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/val
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a person's name

noun · CEFR A2 · Informal

a short name for a man named Valentine or a woman named Valerie.

For teachers: a hypocoristic form of given names such as Valerie, Valentine, or Valerius.

- My friend Valerie usually goes by Val when she introduces herself.
- Although his legal name was Valentine, he preferred to be addressed as Val in all but the most formal professional settings.

### 2. medicine

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a slang name for Valium, a medicine used to help people feel calm or sleep.

For teachers: an informal clipping of Valium, a benzodiazepine medication used to treat anxiety and muscle spasms.

- He was so nervous about the flight that he took a val to relax.
- The patient admitted to occasional recreational use of vals, which complicated the anaesthesiologist's plan for the upcoming procedure.

### 3. Valley girl

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Slang · Informal

a slang term for a 'Valley girl' — a stereotype of a wealthy, young woman from California.

For teachers: a clipping of 'Valley girl', referring to a socio-economic stereotype of young women from the San Fernando Valley.

- She used a lot of slang and sounded like a total val.
- The film's protagonist was a parody of the stereotypical val, complete with the distinctive accent and obsession with shopping malls.

## Examples

- My friend Val is coming over for dinner tonight.
- Since her full name is Valerie, most of her colleagues just call her Val in the office.
- While the legal documents required her full name, she preferred to be introduced as Val during the informal networking event to appear more approachable to the new recruits.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.