Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Using exactly the same words; corresponding word for word.
  • adverb In exactly the same words; word for word.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Word for word; in exactly the same words: sometimes extended into the phrase verbatim, literatim, et punctatin, word for word, letter for letter, and point for point, as in the most exact transcription, in bibliography, etc.
  • By word of mouth; orally; verbally.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb Word for word; in the same words; verbally.
  • adverb word for word, and letter for letter.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb Word for word; in exactly the same words as were used originally.
  • adjective of a document Corresponding with the original word for word.
  • adjective of a person Able to take down a speech word for word, especially in shorthand.
  • noun A word-for-word report of a speech.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb using exactly the same words
  • adjective in precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin verbātim, from Latin verbum, word; see verb.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Attested in English since 1481 (therefore considered a Middle English derivation by some): from Medieval Latin verbātim, from Latin verb(um) + -ātim, adverbial suffix.

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