Agency Dictionary

Intertextuality

nounPronunciation: /ˌɪn.tə.teks.tʃuˈæl.ə.ti/

What does “Intertextuality” mean?

The complex relationship and dialogue between different texts and cultural expressions. It demonstrates how contemporary works constantly reference, adapt, and transform preceding ideas.

Etymology

Borrowed from French intertextualité, coined by the literary theorist Julia Kristeva in 1966 from inter- ("between") and textualité ("textuality"), ultimately from Latin textus, "woven fabric, text", from texere, "to weave". The term names the way texts echo, quote, transform and depend on other texts.

Usage note

A term of literary theory and criticism. Kristeva drew on Bakhtin's concept of dialogism to argue that no text exists in isolation: every text is a mosaic of quotations and transformations of prior texts.

Synonyms

cross-reference
allusion
textual dialogue

Word family

intertextual
text
textual
textuality

Rhymes with

sexuality
mentality
nationality
personality

Concept

PostmodernismPostmodernism is a broad intellectual movement characterized by skepticism toward grand narratives, absolute truths, and universal ideologies. It emphasizes…

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

MetaMarketing.1 - Time to ESGApril 11, 2023Read the edition

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.
quotationnoun: A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
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.
iconnoun: A simplified image that represents a thing by resembling it. In semiotics, a sign that signifies through likeness; in digital interfaces, a small picture that stands for an object or a function.
Maximnoun: A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
symbolismnoun: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, and the set of meanings that a form, an image or an object carries beyond its literal sense.
verbatimadjective: In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
rhetoricnoun: The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.

Also from these editions: terms

Acronymnoun: A word formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. It simplifies complex institutional designations into recognizable units.
Degenerationnoun: The process of declining from a higher to a lower state of quality, vitality, or structural integrity. It characterizes systemic decay within neglected institutions or ecosystems.
Endogenousadjective: Originating, growing, or developing from within an internal system rather than from external influences. It describes organic resources, native factors, and self-regulating organizational dynamics.
Fictionalizeverb: To turn real events, characters, or brand narratives into imaginative storytelling formats. It allows storytellers and marketers to communicate deeper emotional truths through symbolic narratives.
Liquiditynoun: The quality of flowing easily, adapting continuously, and lacking permanent shape. In modern sociology, it describes the transient, rapidly changing nature of contemporary social relationships.
Manifestonoun: A public written declaration setting forth the intentions, motives, political convictions, or philosophical principles of an individual, artistic group, or corporate enterprise.
Mindsetnoun: An established set of attitudes and habitual assumptions held by a person or organization. It shapes how information is processed and how challenges are approached.
Skepticismnoun: An attitude of doubt or critical inquiry regarding claims that lack clear empirical proof. It protects consumers and researchers from accepting deceptive assertions uncritically.
Soliditynoun: The state or quality of being firm, coherent, and durable in physical or organizational form. In cultural theory, it describes the stable structures and long-lasting institutions of classical modernity.
Transparencynoun: The quality of being open, easily understood, and free from deceit or concealment. In business and public administration, it requires accessible accounting and honest stakeholder disclosure.
Regenerationnoun: The renewal, restoration, or revival of a biological organism, ecosystem, or cultural structure after decline or damage.