textualism

noun

tex·​tu·​al·​ism ˈteks-chə-wə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce textualism (audio)
-chə-ˌli-zəm
: strict or rigid adherence to a text (such as the text of the Scriptures)
specifically, US law : a legal philosophy that laws and legal documents (such as the U.S. Constitution) should be interpreted by considering only the words used in the law or document as they are commonly understood
Justice Scalia of the United States Supreme Court has championed an approach called textualism. Scalia and others argue that legislative history should rarely be relevant, in essence advocating sentence meaning over speaker's meaning. To be more exact, textualism claims that it does try to discover the intent of the legislature, but limits this inquiry to the text of the statute itself. Peter M. Tiersma
compare originalism
textualist adjective
a textualist interpretation
textualist noun
plural textualists
Textualists focus on the meaning of words and eschew more abstract inquiries about the law's purposes. Marc O. DeGirolami

Examples of textualism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This is textualism — the idea that statutes should be interpreted according to their words but not according to their purpose. Noah Feldman, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024 Originalism and textualism are both legal philosophies that prize the plain language of the words on the page. David French, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024 Related Articles Letters: 2nd Amendment | Causes of homelessness | Sacrificing schools | Presidential immunity | Trump justices | Child care costs These justices prevaricate pride about constitutional textualism and the context of history. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024 Breyer sums up textualism and originalism as attempts to make judicial reasoning a science and to make law a list of rules. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for textualism 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'textualism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

textual + -ism

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of textualism was in 1847

Dictionary Entries Near textualism

Cite this Entry

“Textualism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/textualism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!