Antonin Scalia Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Antonin Scalia, 2006. (more) textualism judicial philosophy Written by Brian Duignan Brian Duignan is a senior editor at Encyclopædia Britannica. His subject areas include philosophy, law, social science, politics, political theory, and religion. Brian Duignan Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 10, 2026 •History Textualism, in U.S. law, is a theory of legal interpretation according to which laws and other legal documents are best understood by considering the common meanings of the words or phrases they contain rather than the goals or intentions of those who drafted them, even if such factors are clearly indicated. In practice, textualism also takes into account the semantic contexts in which words or phrases are used. A related interpretive theory is originalism, according...

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