literal
adjective
in accordance with, involving, or being the primary or strict meaning of the word or words; not figurative or metaphorical.
literalness
-
a word derived from
literal.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The literalness of the exercise emphasizes the slipperiness of time, shining a garish spotlight on mortality and lending a tragic depth to the most venal of reunion specials.
From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2021
Some of the cat’s most comically absurd escapades are entirely consistent with the look-and-say method, minus the terrible literalness that Hersey decried.
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 5, 2019
Lewandowski’s similar point about Trump’s literalness offered this implication.
From Slate ● Dec. 5, 2016
The director didn’t seem to trust his audience to take those seminal Christian events seriously unless he presented them with dogged literalness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2016
Like Charles, he had stopped believing in the literalness of the Bible.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
