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)
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
Judy Berman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
But the literal definition of resilience is the ability of a system to return to its original baseline after being disturbed.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
Essence, 24 Oct. 2025
But Lynch was also an artist in every sense of the word, including the literal.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
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Adjective
An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
But the literal definition of resilience is the ability of a system to return to its original baseline after being disturbed.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
The case studies featured in Unleashed Potential punctuate the conceptual and turn it into literal.
—Essence, 24 Oct. 2025
But Lynch was also an artist in every sense of the word, including the literal.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
Video
Literally
A word that (literally) drives people nuts
Cite this Entry
“Literal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literal. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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