textualist
Americannoun
-
a person who adheres closely to a text, especially of the Scriptures.
-
a person who is well versed in the text of the Scriptures.
-
Law. a person who adheres to the doctrine that a legal document or statute should be interpreted by determining the relatively objective ordinary meaning of its words and phrases.
Justice Hugo Black took a literal reading of the Bill of Rights, leading to his reputation as a textualist.
Etymology
Origin of textualist
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.
Therefore, Jackson, unlike Kagan, did not resolve the interpretive issue here on the majority opinion’s textualist terms.
From Slate ● Mar. 4, 2026
According to the textualist position associated with the late Justice Antonin Scalia, legal words mean what they say.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 21, 2024
“Dune” made it clear that Villeneuve isn’t that kind of textualist.
From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
“It thus applies to all ‘officers of the United States,’ as a standard textualist interpretation of the phrase implies.
From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2024
Tex′tuary, a textualist; Tex′tus, the authoritative text, esp. of the Bible.—Textus receptus, the received text of the Greek Testament.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
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.
