literalism

noun

lit·​er·​al·​ism ˈli-t(ə-)rə-ˌli-zəm 

1

: adherence to the explicit substance of an idea or expression

biblical literalism

2

: fidelity to observable fact : realism

literalist

ˈli-t(ə-)rə-list 

noun

literalistic

ˌli-t(ə-)rə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

Synonyms

• realism
• naturalism

Examples of literalism in a Sentence

if audiences ever got the literalism they claim they want in movies, they'd be fast asleep by the second reel

Recent Examples on the Web

Or rather, their effect is rather blunted: The literalism of the screen doesn’t serve Taffeta’s vision, let alone Mason’s, quite as well as the stage likely did. —Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 23 June 2025

But, in its literalism, the essay struggles to transcend the form. —Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025

Its musings on the spiritual — or even on the innocent, the naïve, the youthful — begin and end in the realm of documentarian literalism. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025

For decades the insistence on the truth value of rap lyrics was of paramount importance; now, that has run headlong into the literalism of law enforcement interpretation. —Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for literalism

• activism
• ageism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism

Video

Literally

A word that (literally) drives people nuts