Dictionary.com

literal

[ lit-er-uhl ]
/ ˈlɪt ər əl /
See synonyms for literal on Thesaurus.com

adjective

noun

a typographical error, especially involving a single letter.

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Origin of literal

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

OTHER WORDS FROM literal

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH literal

literal , littoral
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to literal

accurate, actual, unvarnished, authentic, true, natural, faithful, simple, plain, close, gospel, ordinary, apparent, bona fide, critical, genuine, methodical, scrupulous, strict, unerring

British Dictionary definitions for literal

literal
/ (ˈlɪtərəl) /

adjective

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