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
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.
: a small error usually of a single letter (as in writing)
Synonyms
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
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
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 
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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
Video
Literally
A word that (literally) drives people nuts
Dictionary Entries Near literal
Cite this Entry
“Literal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literal. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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