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

literals plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• literals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of literal

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

Explanation

To describe something as literal is to say that it is exactly what it seems to be. For example, if you put up a literal barrier to keep the world out, you've actually built a real wall. The background of literal includes the Latin litterālis, meaning "of letters or writing." This led to the sense of exactness, suggesting something is "to the letter." Many people misuse this word, as in "Listening to that dull teacher put me in a literal coma." Possible, but highly doubtful.

Example Sentences

"Black folks have their own experiences with the American Dream partially because so much of their experience has been fighting for literal freedom," she told me.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

But one group is staying literal: the algae fans.

From Slate • Jun. 27, 2026

Meanwhile, in densely populated areas like south Florida, shrinking landfill availability is creating a literal trash crisis, and recycling is seen as one of the solutions.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

Of 1997’s action-thriller “Face/Off,” he said, “Now, ‘Face/Off’ is a literal title, because both of their faces are taken off.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026

Mulch had a prodigious appetite for tunneling, and that, unfortunately, is a literal translation.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Related Words

• accurate
• actual
• authentic
• true
• unvarnished