Meaning & use
read verbatim
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
to read a text aloud using exactly the same words, without changing or shortening anything.
Grammar: Used with an object: read the statement verbatim; the object usually comes before verbatim.
Patterns
- read something verbatim
- read verbatim from something
- read something verbatim to someone
The lawyer asked her to read the contract verbatim so nothing would be missed.
He read the poem verbatim from the book, without adding a single word.
Please read the announcement verbatim; do not put it in your own words.
Common combinations
- read a statement verbatim
- The minister read a statement verbatim to the reporters.
- quote something verbatim
- She quoted the email verbatim in her report.
- repeat something verbatim
- He repeated the instructions verbatim so everyone could follow.
- verbatim from a text
- The speech was taken verbatim from an old newspaper.
Synonyms and how they differ
- word for word
- Very close in meaning, but more informal and often used about translation or repetition rather than reading aloud.
- exactly
- Focuses on accuracy in general; it does not by itself say that something is read aloud.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: read verbatim or literally?
read verbatim vs literally
Literally means 'in the exact basic sense' and is used for emphasis; verbatim is only about using the same words.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'read verbatim' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Verbatim' means word for word, so the reader keeps exactly the original words. Option 0 fails because changing sentences is not verbatim, and option 2 fails because adding opinions changes the words.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “read verbatim”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.