as in historical
restricted to or based on fact
a literal account of the explorer's adventures is actually a lot less interesting than his own exaggerated stories
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Recent Examples of literal
This week, the piece will take a more literal place among the stars when the European Space Agency broadcasts it into space.
—
Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 26 May 2025
Nearly a decade earlier, Answers in Genesis opened a Creation Museum in nearby Petersburg, Ky., where exhibits similarly try to make the case for a literal interpretation of the biblical creation narrative.
—Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
The draft threatens Lionel and David’s taciturn romance, while Shattuck’s script hinges more on gestures and exchanges than literal declarations of feeling, and both the traumas of war and existential uncertainty about his sexuality and desires eventually plague David.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
The Lynx were literal seconds away from a ring last year.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 26 May 2025
Nearly a decade earlier, Answers in Genesis opened a Creation Museum in nearby Petersburg, Ky., where exhibits similarly try to make the case for a literal interpretation of the biblical creation narrative.
—Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
The draft threatens Lionel and David’s taciturn romance, while Shattuck’s script hinges more on gestures and exchanges than literal declarations of feeling, and both the traumas of war and existential uncertainty about his sexuality and desires eventually plague David.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
The Lynx were literal seconds away from a ring last year.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literal
Adjective
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The 922 reports logged through late May is 281 more than the historical average of 641 for this time of year, the outlet said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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Further, as shown in the historical data, periods of a weaker US dollar do not uniformly lead to higher US Treasury bond yields.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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For the experts, the accumulation of factual material is key.—
Karlyn Bowman,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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The backlash to Bongino’s factual statement is part of a broader political phenomenon.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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The formula for ‘true tackles’ is slightly more long-winded: tackles + challenges lost + fouls committed.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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The young man is at a crossroads between pursuing shallow, glitzy easy money, or being true to his emotional and artistic muses.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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The documentary style in underground cinema, handheld cameras, the use of non-professional actors, and the unfiltered depiction of real life is not dissimilar to the lyrical and auditory structures of Persian rap.—
Ali Farahmand,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
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That’s on the new episode of Doc Talk, co-hosted by Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Shirley) and Matt Carey, Deadline’s documentary editor.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 May 2025
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Literally
A word that (literally) drives people nuts
Cite this Entry
“Literal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literal. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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