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
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
This literalism extends across the entire picture.
—
Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
By the 1920s, the rise of religious fundamentalism and Biblical literalism among evangelical Protestant groups was reshaping America's religious landscape — setting it on a collision course with modern scientific thought.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 8 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for literalism
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Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
By the 1920s, the rise of religious fundamentalism and Biblical literalism among evangelical Protestant groups was reshaping America's religious landscape — setting it on a collision course with modern scientific thought.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 8 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for literalism
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Literally
A word that (literally) drives people nuts
Cite this Entry
“Literalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literalism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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