literal

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adjective

lit·er·al ˈli-t(ə-)rəl

Synonyms of literal next

: according with the letter of the scriptures

adheres to a literal reading of the passage

: adhering to fact or to the ordinary construction or primary meaning of a term or expression : actual

liberty in the literal sense is impossible—

B. N. Cardozo

: free from exaggeration or embellishment

the literal truth

: characterized by a concern mainly with facts

a very literal man

: of, relating to, or expressed in letters

The distress signal SOS has no literal meaning.

: reproduced word for word : exact, verbatim

a literal translation

literality

ˌli-tə-ˈra-lə-tē

noun

literalness

ˈli-t(ə-)rəl-nəs

noun

literal

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noun

: a small error usually of a single letter (as in writing)

Examples of literal in a Sentence

Adjective I was using the word in its literal sense. The literal meaning of “know your ropes” is “to know a lot about ropes,” while figuratively it means “to know a lot about how to do something.” a literal translation of a book The story he told was basically true, even if it wasn't the literal truth.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Adjective

State Farm Arena, in Atlanta, houses a bar accessible to its highest-paying customers that sits on the arena’s literal hardwood floor, only feet from the benches. —

Andrew Greif, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024 The literal collaging in her work complements and sometimes contradicts her purely painterly juxtapositions. —

Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Noun

Snyder uses this device of reasserting the mark by redoing it differently, accenting the literal by artificializing it. —

Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2024 Jo Bonney, directing, conjures an air of dread and surreality, amping each performance up a little past the literal. —

Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for literal