textual
adjective
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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
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
There’s no commentary, no talking heads, no textual information, no reflection on his triumphs even from Roca Rey, whose face, for the most part, remains a stoic mask.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for textual 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'textual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near textual
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“Textual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/textual. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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textual
adjective
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