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 very first thing I saw there was an anime-style vertical video whose characters barely moved their lips and ended the whole thing with a verbatim “To Be Continue .. ” title card.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
Cofnas reproduced several tracts of Arday's PhD dissertation which he said the software had found to be copied verbatim or lightly rephrased from prior academic works by other authors.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Lawyers on both sides have urged the high court to establish a clear right to a verbatim record in civil hearings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
Because of the reporter shortage, about 72% of these cases between April 2023 and June 2025 had no verbatim record, according to the Judicial Branch of California.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
And that professional writers of a type love to reproduce verbatim:
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
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.
