textualist in a sentence
n.
📚 Grade Level: Grade 11, Grade 12
Definition
A textualist is an individual who interprets texts, particularly legal or literary works, by focusing primarily on the literal wording and meaning, often ignoring external factors such as authorial intent or historical context.
Sample Sentences
- A textualist approach to interpreting the law emphasizes the importance of the words used in the legal texts.
- In literary criticism, a textualist may focus solely on the text itself, disregarding the author's intentions or historical context.
- The professor argued that a textualist reading of the Constitution reveals its original meaning more accurately than other interpretive methods.
- As a textualist, she believed that understanding the language and structure of the text was crucial to grasping its full significance.
- Many scholars debate the merits of textualism versus more context-driven interpretive strategies in legal studies.