literal

American  

[lit-er-uhl] / ˈlɪt ər əl /

adjective

1. in accordance with, involving, or being the primary or strict meaning of the word or words; not figurative or metaphorical.

   the literal meaning of a word.

2. following the words of the original very closely and exactly.

   a literal translation of Goethe.

3. true to fact; not exaggerated; actual or factual.

   a literal description of conditions.

   Synonyms:

   reliable, exact, truthful

4. being actually such, without exaggeration or inaccuracy.

   the literal extermination of a city.

5. (of persons) tending to construe words in the strict sense or in an unimaginative way; matter-of-fact; prosaic.

6. of or relating to the letters of the alphabet.

7. of the nature of letters.

8. expressed by letters.

9. affecting a letter or letters.

   a literal error.

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noun

1. a typographical error, especially involving a single letter.

literal British  

/ ˈlɪtərəl, ˌlɪtəˈrælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. in exact accordance with or limited to the primary or explicit meaning of a word or text

2. word for word

3. dull, factual, or prosaic

4. consisting of, concerning, or indicated by letters

5. true; actual

6. maths containing or using coefficients and constants represented by letters: ax² + b is a literal expression Compare numerical

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noun

1. Also called: literal error.  a misprint or misspelling in a text

Other Word Forms

• literalness noun
• nonliteral adjective
• nonliterally adverb
• nonliteralness noun
• overliteral adjective
• unliteral adjective
• unliterally adverb

Etymology

Origin of literal

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin litterālis “of letters.” See letter ¹, -al ¹

Example Sentences

The Federal Reserve’s literal halls of power have become a source of surprising interest in recent months due to a controversy over the institution’s office renovations in Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jonas adds, “It’s allegorical in nature. What if I could just take this man and chain him up? It’s making that literal for us to watch. It’s about that female id deep inside of us.”

From Los Angeles Times

After around the age of 32, there is a literal turning point where these developmental trends switch directions.

From Science Daily

“From its tech to its literal abundance of power, this electric pickup truck is fast, capable off-road, and the best-looking in its class,” wrote Gabriel Vega Cortés, editor of vehicle testing.

From Barron's

Given the IRS’s guidance and admonitions, tax professionals said, most taxpayers didn’t roll the dice on that literal reading.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accurate
• actual
• authentic
• true
• unvarnished