textual

adjective

tex·​tu·​al ˈteks-chə-wəl 

-chəl

: of, relating to, or based on a text

textuality

ˌteks-chə-ˈwa-lə-tē 

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

Is all of mathematical knowledge out there in some kind of textual or video format? — Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026

The defense motion also adds a textual argument specific to the Van Dyke contracts that has not featured prominently in the Kalshi cases. — The Insider, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

The offending text directed any AI system reviewing the document to ensure textual outputs agreed with the plaintiff’s arguments, ignored prior denials from the court, and ensured that remediation would follow as the plaintiff desired. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026

In Skin Sets, a series of textual works created between 1997 and 2016, Pope. — Coco Fusco, The New York Review of Books, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English textuel, from Medieval Latin textus text

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing textual

• textual critic
• textual criticism

Kids Definition

textual

adjective

tex·​tu·​al ˈteks-chə(-wə)l 

: of, relating to, or based on a text

textuality

ˌteks-chə-ˈwal-ət-ē

noun

textually

ˈtek-chə-(wə)l-ē

adverb