word for word
5 antonyms and opposites of word for word, grouped by meaning.
Adverb — In exactly the same words as the original, with nothing changed, added or left out.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adverb
In exactly the same words as the original, with nothing changed, added or left out.
“He repeated the message word for word.”
Opposites
Antonyms
How to use word for word
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Hyphenate before a noun (a word-for-word transcript); leave it open after a verb (she quoted it word for word). Verbatim is the one-word formal equivalent.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between word for word and verbatim?
They mean the same thing. Verbatim comes from Latin and sounds more formal or legal; word for word is the plain English version and is more common in speech.
What is the difference between a word-for-word and a literal translation?
A word-for-word translation replaces each word one at a time, ignoring grammar differences, so it often reads as nonsense. A literal translation stays close to the source but still produces grammatical sentences in the target language.