literal

[lit-er-uhl]

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.

noun

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

literal

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of literal¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of literal¹

C14: from Late Latin litterālis concerning letters, from Latin littera _letter

Example Sentences

“Irony does not involve the simple substitution of the opposite for the literal meaning.”

Read more on Salon

Portland is by no metric a perfect city, but it’s one whose combination of staunch anti-authoritarianism and literal balls-out commitment to absurdism meets this uniquely chaotic moment.

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Some are even spending $250 or more in vintage shops so they can pull on the literal same pairs as their predecessors.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Howell said Lester was “like a literal ray of light in my life back then” and committed to protecting their relationship.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“He looked like a literal man amongst boys, like someone had let a wild animal loose,” Alexander says.

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Related Words

• accurate 
• actual 
• authentic 
• true 
• unvarnished