literal

1 of 2

adjective

lit·​er·​al ˈli-t(ə-)rəl 

1

a

: according with the letter of the scriptures

adheres to a literal reading of the passage

b

: 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

c

: free from exaggeration or embellishment

the literal truth

d

: characterized by a concern mainly with facts

a very literal man

2

: of, relating to, or expressed in letters

The distress signal SOS has no literal meaning.

3

: reproduced word for word : exact, verbatim

a literal translation

literality

ˌli-tə-ˈra-lə-tē 

noun

literalness

ˈli-t(ə-)rəl-nəs 

noun

literal

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms

Adjective

• documentary
• factual
• hard
• historical
• matter-of-fact
• nonfictional
• objective
• true

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

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin litteralis, from Latin, of a letter, from littera letter

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1622, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing literal

• literal-minded

Video

Literally

A word that (literally) drives people nuts

Kids Definition

literal

adjective

lit·​er·​al

ˈlit-ə-rəl,

ˈli-trəl

1

a

: following the ordinary or usual meaning of the words

literal and figurative meanings

b

: true to fact : plain, unadorned

took the television drama to be the literal truth

c

: concerned mainly with facts

a literal-minded person

2

: of, relating to, or expressed in letters

literal equations

3

: done word for word : exact, verbatim

a literal translation

literalness noun