# textual

/ˈtɛksˌtʃuəɫ/ (US) · /tˈɛkstʃuːəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/textual
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. relating to written text

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

relating to the written words in a book, document, or piece of writing.

For teachers: of or pertaining to the written text of a document or literary work, as opposed to its themes, context, or oral delivery.

- The lawyer looked for textual evidence in the contract to support his case.
- The professor provided a detailed textual analysis of the poem, focusing on the specific word choices rather than the historical background.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it modifies.

### 2. relating to text messages

adjective · CEFR C2 · Informal

relating to sending messages on a phone.

For teachers: pertaining to digital text messaging, often used in modern social or legal contexts regarding communication via mobile devices.

- They have a very textual relationship because they mostly talk through phone apps.
- The investigation uncovered a long history of textual harassment between the two employees over several months.

Teaching tip: This sense is often used as a play on words with 'sexual' in modern slang, though it is also used seriously in legal discussions about phone records.

## Examples

- The teacher gave us some textual evidence for her theory.
- The lawyer argued that the textual meaning of the contract was clear and did not require further interpretation.
- Scholars often engage in textual criticism to determine the original version of a manuscript by comparing various surviving copies for errors and inconsistencies.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.