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
The house was also featured in the actress' Emilia Pérez press tour wardrobe in the form of a sleeveless long black dress with a literal keyhole cutout.
—
Michelle Lee, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, owners have spent literal billions trying to find the right ones.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
Operating like the best live-action Looney Tunes movie that never was, Hundreds of Beavers is essentially a series of increasingly zany gags in which fur trapper fend off literal hordes of beavers.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
Black’s thermal photography shows us, in a literal sense, the rising heat signature of our presence on public lands across the West.
—James Pogue, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
Michelle Lee, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, owners have spent literal billions trying to find the right ones.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
Operating like the best live-action Looney Tunes movie that never was, Hundreds of Beavers is essentially a series of increasingly zany gags in which fur trapper fend off literal hordes of beavers.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
Black’s thermal photography shows us, in a literal sense, the rising heat signature of our presence on public lands across the West.
—James Pogue, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literal
Adjective
-
And with good reason: His performance as a Jewish Hungarian architect lost in postwar America seemed to embody a whole historical era.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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The beadwork and design features of each suit are intentionally placed to convey a unique visual story that reflects a common historical thread.—
Martie Bowser,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Although the administration insists this will not be the case, there is no factual reason to believe that narrative as these cut moves are not about efficiency, safety or functionality.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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When users encounter incomplete or misleading information, the model loses credibility—particularly in scenarios requiring factual accuracy, such as healthcare or legal advice.—
Praveen Thopalle,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This is true in any organization and is undoubtedly true when selecting members of the administration of the most powerful nation in the world.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2025
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This is true of most great directors, except most lack the expertise of being a top-level editor who can deliver the best version of it.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That’s on the latest episode of Doc Talk, hosted by Oscar winner Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Shirley) and Carey, Deadline’s documentary editor.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2025
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Against that backdrop, this year’s festival hopes to accomplish what so many documentary filmmakers set out to achieve: to bear witness, spark debate, speak truth to power, and provide some measure of comfort and community in tumultuous times.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 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 15 Mar. 2025.
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