textualism
noun
tex·tu·al·ism
ˈteks-chə-wə-ˌli-zəm 
-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
Peter M. Tiersma
textualist
noun
plural textualists
Textualists focus on the meaning of words and eschew more abstract inquiries about the law's purposes.
—Marc O. DeGirolami
Marc O. DeGirolami
Examples of textualism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Second, a healthy respect for legal textualism, originalism, and precedent grounded in a commitment to robust and fair law enforcement.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Even among legal scholars, there is some confusion about the terms textualism and originalism -- both denoting methods of legal interpretation.
—Mary Katharine Ham, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025
This was a strict textualist reading of the statute and consistent with Gorsuch's originalism and textualism approach.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
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
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Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Even among legal scholars, there is some confusion about the terms textualism and originalism -- both denoting methods of legal interpretation.
—Mary Katharine Ham, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025
This was a strict textualist reading of the statute and consistent with Gorsuch's originalism and textualism approach.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for textualism
Cite this Entry
“Textualism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/textualism. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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