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Word for word

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Word for word'?

A precise following of another’s words, that is, verbatim, either in spoken repetition of those words or in a close study of a text.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Word for word'?

The ‘close study’ meaning of the expression does back to at least 1385 when Chaucer used it in The Legend of Dido, a poem from Legend of Good Women:

I could folwe [follow] word for word Virgile.

The history of “Word for word” in printed materials

Trend of word for word in printed material over time

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Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Word for word

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