strict adherence to a text, esp. of the Scriptures
Word origin
[1860–65; textual + -ism]This word is first recorded in the period 1860–65. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Paleolithic, big brother, mutualism, prep, raider-ism is a suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it was used to form action nounsfrom verbs (baptism). On this model, -ism is used as a productive suffix in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice,state or condition, principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic, devotion oradherence, etc. (criticism; barbarism; Darwinism; despotism; plagiarism; realism; witticism; intellectualism)
Examples of 'textualism' in a sentence
textualism
Textualism 'begins and ends with what the text says and fairly implies'.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
We might want to reflect on the future of this relationship between analytic textualism and research.
The Times Literary Supplement (2015)
This is a monument to originalism - or at least to one variant of originalism, textualism.