literal

1 of 2

adjective

lit·​er·​al ˈli-t(ə-)rəl How to pronounce literal (audio)
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 impossibleB. 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 noun
literalness noun

literal

2 of 2

noun

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

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
But even given the literal closeness with his family and their neighbors, JAY-Z still has fond memories of his early childhood. Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 Giving women the literal stage — talented female musicians — over a thousand performances during Women’s History Month, that to me was really cool. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2024 And if the product looks and feels like literal jelly, well, hand it over. Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 29 Feb. 2024 From her perch on the metafictional scaffolding, Alexis provides occasional commentary in the form of footnotes, often attacking Emi’s literal approach to translation (or Emi in general) and advocating for her own more contextual translation style. Nathan Jeffers, Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024 In fact, the largest megachurch in the U.S., Lakewood Church, holds services in a literal sports stadium, Houston’s former Compaq Center, symbolizing the blending of secular and sacred spaces. Catherine Baab-Muguira, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 At a time when the country is witnessing attempts at erasing entire chapters of American history — whether banning books or deploying revisionist history — these individuals are seeking to embody narratives in a literal way. Donna M. Owens, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 This means that our brains actually perceive tools as literal parts of our bodies. Chip Colwell, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 Survey participants also classified claims based on their viewpoints of fact versus opinion, literal language versus figures of speech, and knowledge versus reasoning. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024
Noun
Again, his musical selections don’t shy from the literal. Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 May 2023 David was contending with two friendship deaths—one literal, the other metaphorical. Jennifer Senior, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2022 Tony’s asphyxiation of Christopher makes the metaphorical literal. Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'literal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of literal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near literal

Cite this Entry

“Literal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on literal

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