Agency Dictionary
verbatim
adjectivePronunciation: /vɜːrˈbeɪ.tɪm/
In Portuguese: literal
Writing & NarrativeWhat does “verbatim” mean?
In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin verbatim, an adverb meaning 'word for word,' from verbum ('word') plus the adverbial suffix -atim. The word entered English as an adverb in the late fifteenth century; its use as an adjective came later.
Usage note
Verbatim is used as both adverb (he repeated it verbatim) and adjective (a verbatim transcript) and retains only the precise sense of word-for-word accuracy.
Synonyms
- word-for-word
- literal
- exact
Often confused with
- literally
- In careful use, literally means in the exact, word-for-word sense; in informal English it has become an intensifier with no precise meaning. Verbatim is free of this ambiguity.
Usage examples
The main difference between an aphorism and a quotation is that an aphorism is a concise and often original statement of wisdom or truth, while a quotation is a verbatim excerpt from a source.
Writing.2 - Aphorisms
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
- Antithesisnoun
- A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
- Rebirthnoun
- A new beginning after a period of decline or destruction, used in mythology to describe the cyclical return to life after death. In Archetype.0, rebirth is the defining characteristic of both the Bennu and the Phoenix.
- Discursiveadjective
- Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
- paperweightnoun
- A small, heavy object placed on loose sheets of paper to prevent them from scattering or blowing away.
- omissionnoun
- The intentional or accidental act of leaving something out or excluding details from a statement or text.
- Treatisenoun
- A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
- Accuracynoun
- The degree of precision, correctness, and exactitude with which a message or action reaches its intended mark.
- Acronymnoun
- A word formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. It simplifies complex institutional designations into recognizable units.
Also from these editions: terms
- quotationnoun
- A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
- eppur si muoveother
- An Italian phrase meaning and yet it moves. It is used to affirm that a fact remains true no matter who denies it.
- Maximnoun
- A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
- clevernessnoun
- The mental quality of being quick-witted, agile, and ingenious in solving specific situational problems.
- rhetoricnoun
- The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
- literary devicenoun
- A technique that a writer uses to produce a particular effect or to convey meaning, such as metaphor, irony, repetition, quotation or aphorism.
- collective consciousnessnoun
- The set of beliefs, ideas and feelings shared by the members of a society, which exists beyond any single person. By extension, what a community knows and repeats in common.
- Byproductnoun
- A secondary, often unexpected result or incidental creation derived from an ongoing process or effort.
- catalystnoun
- A substance or factor that accelerates a chemical reaction or stimulates widespread systemic change without being consumed.
- comfort zonenoun
- The set of situations and habits in which a person feels safe and in control, without risk or anxiety. Leaving it is commonly described as a condition for learning and growth.
- conciseadjective
- Expressing comprehensive meaning clearly in few words, without superfluous or redundant phrasing.
- Hectarenoun
- A metric unit of surface area equal to ten thousand square meters or roughly 2.471 acres.
Also from these editions: concepts
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- Philosophical WisdomPhilosophical wisdom is the integrated capacity to synthesize deep moral understanding, sound ethical judgment, and lived experience in navigation of human life. It…
- David HumeDavid Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian and economist, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Western philosophy. In Writing.2, the article…
- Aphoristic StyleAphoristic style is a literary mode of writing composed of detached, numbered, or highly condensed statements that convey complex philosophical ideas with striking…
- State of NatureThe state of nature is a foundational philosophical concept used to hypothesize the human condition prior to the establishment of organized political societies, civil…
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- YodaYoda is a character of the Star Wars films, an old Jedi master who trains others in the Force. In the Agency editorial, Writing.2 offers one of his sentences as an…
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- IntelligenceIntelligence is the set of cognitive abilities that allow a mind to reason, solve problems, learn and adapt. The Agency editorial places it between cleverness and wisdom…
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