literal

[ lit-er-uhl ]

/ ˈlɪt ər əl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for literal on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

following the words of the original very closely and exactly: a literal translation of Goethe.

true to fact; not exaggerated; actual or factual: a literal description of conditions.

being actually such, without exaggeration or inaccuracy: the literal extermination of a city.

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

of or relating to the letters of the alphabet.

of the nature of letters.

expressed by letters.

affecting a letter or letters: a literal error.

noun

a typographical error, especially involving a single letter.

OTHER WORDS FOR literal

3 truthful, exact, reliable.

See synonyms for literal on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of literal

1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin litterālis “of letters.” See letter¹, -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM literal

lit·er·al·ness, nounnon·lit·er·al, adjectivenon·lit·er·al·ly, adverbnon·lit·er·al·ness, noun

o·ver·lit·er·al, adjectiveun·lit·er·al, adjectiveun·lit·er·al·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH literal

literal , littoral

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

How to use literal in a sentence

One number acts out young Presley's superhero fantasies with a total literalness.
Can Cirque du Soleil's New Show Save Vegas?|Richard Abowitz|February 21, 2010|DAILY BEAST
“Increasingly the food he eats is digested with the stories we tell,” Foer tells us, with slightly quease-inducing literalness.
Fatherhood Gets Hip|Lizzie Skurnick|December 1, 2009|DAILY BEAST
His mind is characterized by the literalness, rather than the comprehensive grasp of great subjects.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Foremost among the translations are a number of his songs, rendered with a finesse and a literalness that are rarely combined.
The Poems of Emma Lazarus|Emma Lazarus

The literalness of the saying "making a living by the sweat of one's brow" dawned upon her for the first time.
By Right of Conquest|Arthur Hornblow
The Biblical descriptions of heaven she accepted in all their literalness.
Mrs. Bindle|Hebert Jenkins
To deny the literalness of these sacrifices does violence to the Word of God.
The Prophet Ezekiel|Arno C. Gaebelein

British Dictionary definitions for literal

literal

/ (ˈlɪtərəl) /

adjective

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

word for word

dull, factual, or prosaic

consisting of, concerning, or indicated by letters

true; actual

maths containing or using coefficients and constants represented by letters: ax² + b is a literal expressionCompare numerical (def. 3a)

noun

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

Derived forms of literal

literalness or literality (ˌlɪtəˈrælɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for literal

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

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

literal

OTHER WORDS FOR literal

Origin of literal

OTHER WORDS FROM literal

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH literal

Words related to literal

How to use literal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for literal

Derived forms of literal

Word Origin for literal