textual

adjective

tex·​tu·​al ˈteks-chə-wəl How to pronounce textual (audio)
-chəl
: of, relating to, or based on a text
textuality noun
textually adverb

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Before the invention of the printing press, books were produced by hand. When the text of a book is copied this way, textual errors can creep in, and a text that's been copied again and again can contain many such errors. By comparing different copies of a work, textual critics try to figure out where the copyists went wrong and restore the text to its original form so that modern readers can again enjoy the correct versions of ancient texts. When a class performs textual analysis of a poem, however, they are looking closely at its individual words and phrases in an effort to determine the poem's meanings.

Examples of textual in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While LLMs are centered on our digital world—creating content or deriving insights from textual or visual data—LQMs drive impact on the physical world and the financial-services sector. Jack Hidary, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024 Screen readers for people with blind/low vision disabilities need textual information on image’s visual details. Toby Wong, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 At the very least, the staff reasoned, Jews could ground themselves in collective textual interpretation. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024 As a matter of textual interpretation, this holding makes no sense. Li Zhou, Vox, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for textual 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English textuel, from Medieval Latin textus text

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of textual was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near textual

Cite this Entry

“Textual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/textual. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

textual

adjective
tex·​tu·​al ˈteks-chə(-wə)l How to pronounce textual (audio)
: of, relating to, or based on a text
textuality
ˌteks-chə-ˈwal-ət-ē
noun
textually
ˈtek-chə-(wə)l-ē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on textual

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