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

Did you know?

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

His textual fluency and incisive, unfussy intelligence set a standard for his fellow company members, who might not be able to match him but couldn’t help gaining inspiration from his veteran example. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

The actor, whose political beliefs don’t cleanly map onto the modern divisions of the two-party system, has both a reverence for America as a set of ideals and an awareness of the faults within its history that creates interesting textual friction. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026

Siri can analyze the visual and textual content displayed on your screen by tapping into the Vision framework. — Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026

Stripped of any individuating pictorial or textual material, the sign remains recognizable as originating in the streets of Berlin through its figure alone. — Erika Landström, Artforum, 2 June 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