literal

[ lit-er-uhl ]

/ ˈlɪt ər əl /

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.

Nearby words

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

Origin of literal

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

SYNONYMS FOR literal

3 truthful, exact, reliable.

Related forms

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

Can be confused

literal littoral

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for non-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

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

adjective

noun

RELATED CONTENT

Nearby words

Origin of literal

SYNONYMS FOR literal

Related forms

Can be confused

British Dictionary definitions for non-literal

literal

adjective

noun

Derived Forms

Word Origin for literal