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
As with much of the movie, including Ramona’s literal trip through the looking glass where all text is reversed, there’s a heavy surreality hanging over everything.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
According to 8 People Who Love It By Ian Kumamoto
Somehow until recently, this diva was the literal only canonically trans character in Doctor Who, a series about an immortal two-hearted humanoid alien that has been regenerated into over a dozen different bodies.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 28 Mar. 2025
That would have been bad enough — apart from cc-ing our literal enemies, copying a member of the press on official government communication is highly inadvisable, and could go all kinds of sideways.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
From here the riding starts in what is known as the Almond Valley, the foothills of the country’s famous high Atlas Mountains, with a stay at a wonderful historic luxury property in a literal oasis.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
According to 8 People Who Love It By Ian Kumamoto
Somehow until recently, this diva was the literal only canonically trans character in Doctor Who, a series about an immortal two-hearted humanoid alien that has been regenerated into over a dozen different bodies.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 28 Mar. 2025
That would have been bad enough — apart from cc-ing our literal enemies, copying a member of the press on official government communication is highly inadvisable, and could go all kinds of sideways.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
From here the riding starts in what is known as the Almond Valley, the foothills of the country’s famous high Atlas Mountains, with a stay at a wonderful historic luxury property in a literal oasis.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literal
Adjective
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Even in a historical context, the Thunder’s season has been exceptional.—
Nick Crain,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Despite historical accounts of women teaching and attending university lectures behind screens from the late Middle Ages, such depictions were more myth than truth.—
Manuela Callari,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But the most glaring factual error is the below, which says the Houthis killed three Americans last January.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
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The information foreign agents provided to Marshall and the statements made by the senator on Thursday were factual.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Given his body type and potential, maybe the same could be true for Williams.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Read More | Local’s theory about ancient standing stone in UK forest turns out to be true.—
Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Inti Cordera is a documentary film director, producer, and founder of La Maroma Productions and the DocsMX festival & organization in Mexico City.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2025
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Read IndieWire’s earlier story on what Trump dismantling Voice of America means for documentary filmmakers and other public media.—
Anthony Kaufman,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2025
Video
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 7 Apr. 2025.
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