text

text — noun

1. The words that form the main written content of a book, magazine, website, or ot

1.nounB1
Definition

The words that form the main written content of a book, magazine, website, or other publication, as opposed to photographs, drawings, diagrams, or other visual elements.

Example

The children's book has big pictures on every page and very little text.

collocation: little text

Nila prefers reading books that have lots of text and only a few pictures.

Common collocations
  • text and images
  • blocks of text
  • the full text
  • body of text
  • text content
Synonyms
  • writing

    broader term covering any written content, not specifically contrasted with visuals

  • content

    can include images and other media, not limited to words

  • wording

    focuses on the specific choice and arrangement of words in a phrase or sentence, not a whole body of text

Antonyms
  • image

    a visual representation such as a photograph or drawing

  • illustration

    a picture that accompanies and explains written text

Usage Note

Often used without an article when contrasting written words with visual elements ('the article mixes text and images'). The countable form refers to a specific body of writing ('she compared the texts of three different versions').

2. A short written message sent or received on a mobile phone, typically using a ce

2.nounA2
Definition

A short written message sent or received on a mobile phone, typically using a cellular network rather than an internet-based app.

Example

Tariq sent a text to Iris asking if he had finished his homework.

send a text to [recipient]

A text from Gabriel popped up on the screen during lunch.

Common collocations
  • send a text
  • get a text
  • reply to a text
  • text someone back
Synonyms
  • message

    broader term that also includes emails, app-based chats, and voicemails

  • SMS

    technical term for the protocol; less common in everyday speech

Usage Note

Common in everyday informal communication. The full phrase 'text message' is slightly more formal and often used in written instructions or official contexts.

Common Mistakes

I will send a text to you later.
I will text you later.
The verb 'text' is more natural and concise than the noun phrase 'send a text' in everyday English.

3. The exact written form of spoken or composed material — for instance, the words

3.nounB1
Definition

The exact written form of spoken or composed material — for instance, the words used in a political address, a theatrical performance, a poem, an interview, or a news broadcast — in contrast with a summary, paraphrase, or critical discussion of that material.

Example

The newspaper printed the full text of the mayor's speech about the new park.

the full text of [speech / document]

Andrei compared the published text of the interview with what was actually said.

Common collocations
  • the full text of
  • quote from the text
  • the original text
  • the published text
Synonyms
  • transcript

    specifically a written copy of spoken words, often created after the event

  • script

    the written version prepared before a speech, play, or film is performed

  • wording

    narrower — refers to the specific phrasing of a section rather than the whole work

Antonyms
  • summary

    a shortened version that gives the main points, not the exact words

  • paraphrase

    a restatement using different words

4. A written work — for example a book, article, play, or document — assigned to a

4.nounB1
Definition

A written work — for example a book, article, play, or document — assigned to a student for reading, analysis, and discussion within a class, a course, or an academic programme.

Example

Iris had to read three difficult texts for her history course this semester.

read a text for a course

The professor asked the class to analyze the text for its political message.

Common collocations
  • course text
  • set text
  • required text
  • primary text
  • critical text
Synonyms
  • reading

    emphasizes the act of studying rather than the work itself; often used in plural ('the readings for this week')

  • textbook

    a book specifically designed for teaching a subject, broader than a single literary work

  • work

    formal term for a piece of literature or scholarship

5. A short passage taken from the Christian Scriptures or Hebrew Bible that a relig

5.nounB2
Definition

A short passage taken from the Christian Scriptures or Hebrew Bible that a religious leader reads aloud during a worship gathering and then uses as the foundation for a spoken message or homily.

Example

The priest chose a text from the book of Isaiah for the Sunday service.

choose a text from [book of the Bible]

Nila listened carefully as the minister read the text for the week.

Common collocations
  • sermon text
  • biblical text
  • Scripture text
  • text for the day
Synonyms
  • passage

    broader term for any section of text, not limited to religious contexts

  • scripture

    refers to the sacred writings as a whole; uncountable in that sense

  • verse

    a single numbered unit within a chapter, shorter than a typical sermon text

text — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Writing is the broadest term — it covers any act or product of written expression, from a shopping list to a novel. Content is wider still, encompassing images, video, and audio alongside words. Wording narrows the focus to the specific choice and arrangement of words in a particular sentence or phrase. Passage refers to a selected extract or section drawn from a larger text. Unlike text, which draws a clear contrast with visual elements ('text and images'), writing does not inherently imply that distinction. For example, when a designer says 'the page has too much text,' they mean written words as distinct from pictures, whereas 'the page has too much writing' sounds unnatural. Content would include the photos and layout too, and passage would mean only one specific paragraph.

writing ↗content ↗wordingpassage ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • the text of
  • in the text
  • full text
  • body of text
  • block of text

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'textus', meaning 'something woven' or 'a weaving', from the verb 'texere' (to weave). The idea is that words are threads woven together into a fabric of meaning. The Latin term came to refer to the style or structure of a composition, and later to the actual written words themselves. English borrowed it through Old French 'texte' in the 14th century.