literalism

[ lit-er-uh-liz-uhm ]

/ ˈlɪt ər əˌlɪz əm /

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noun

adherence to the exact letter or the literal sense, as in translation or interpretation: to interpret the law with uncompromising literalism.

a peculiarity of expression resulting from this: The work is studded with these obtuse literalisms.

exact representation or portrayal, without idealization, as in art or literature: a literalism more appropriate to journalism than to the novel.

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Origin of literalism

First recorded in 1635–45; literal + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM literalism

lit·er·al·ist, nounlit·er·al·is·tic, adjectivelit·er·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby literalism

literacy, literacy hour, literacy test, literae humaniores, literal, literalism, literality, literalize, literally, literal-minded, literary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use literalism in a sentence

I think a lot of this is rooted in the idea of the “inerrancy of scripture”—the literalism of the Bible.
Cold War Kids’ Nathan Willett: My Evangelical Struggle|Nathan Willett|September 22, 2021|The Daily Beast
Things are so bad that we do not even realize that literalism itself had a different meaning in past epochs.
Gwyneth Was Right: America Turned Communication Into a Weaponized Battlefield|James Poulos|June 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because if Rubio believed in biblical literalism on the subject, he presumably would have said so.
Republican Politicians Must Stop Pandering to Conservative Populism|John Avlon|November 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Such strict constitutionalist arguments, Adler said, are based on an absurdist, “gotcha literalism.”
The Candidate Named "Pro-Life"|Michael Ames|October 31, 2010|DAILY BEAST

The literalism of the Panorama has lately been invaded by an effort toward the Ideal.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. IX.--February, 1851.--Vol. II.|Various
Evan turned a little pale at the mere memory, but he answered with the same cold and deadly literalism that he showed throughout.
The Ball and The Cross|G.K. Chesterton
But there is a like danger in the opposite literalism of the historian.
Religion and the War|Various
"They are satisfied, as the common people were, with a degraded literalism," she went on.
Four Weird Tales|Algernon Blackwood
The Bible, however, remains the main guide of these people, and they follow its instructions with childish literalism.
Our Foreigners|Samuel P. Orth

British Dictionary definitions for literalism

literalism

/ (ˈlɪtərəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

the disposition to take words and statements in their literal sense

literal or realistic portrayal in art or literature

Derived forms of literalism

literalist, nounliteralistic, adjectiveliteralistically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012