verbatim
Americanadverb
adjective
-
corresponding word for word to the original source or text.
a verbatim record of the proceedings.
-
skilled at recording or noting down speeches, proceedings, etc., with word-for-word accuracy.
a verbatim stenographer.
adverb
Etymology
Origin of verbatim
First recorded in 1475–85; from Medieval Latin verbātim, from verb(um) “word” + -ātim, adverb suffix
Explanation
Repeat something you've read or heard precisely word-for-word, and you have just quoted it verbatim. That's great if what you deliver verbatim is the directions on how to defuse a bomb, but not a good idea if you're cheating on a test and copying someone's answer verbatim. As a word, verbatim is powerful for its precision. When you can say that you are repeating someone's words verbatim, it means every single word is exactly what was said. If you write something down verbatim, you can rely on it being a duplicate of the original document, recreated. Repeating words verbatim in your own writing can be tricky business. Without attributing the original author, verbatim can be the damning evidence of plagiarism.
Vocabulary lists containing verbatim
Foreign Words and Phrases Commonly Used in English, List 1
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "V"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The devotion is well-earned: Smith can quote Jefferson verbatim and cites Seneca and Enlightenment philosophers without blinking.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
These feature actors relaying verbatim testimonies from contributors who wished to remain anonymous.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
Robert Strassler’s “Landmark Thucydides” of 1996, which improves on Crawley where it can, repeats these words verbatim.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
Hill Valley Mayor Red Thomas blares the same verbatim reelection slogan in 1955 as Mayor Goldie Wilson does in 1985 — “Progress is his middle name” — yet the town is in visible decline.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025
In those scenes, dialogue is either deduced from the written record or quoted verbatim as it was recounted to me in an interview.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
