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
The Associated Press reported that a second offense of violating closures and use limits was dismissed. Those who wander into the Yellowstone thermal areas are throwing themselves into hot water, in both the legal and literal sense. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 As for Lempicka’s frequent use of nudity in her work, Young didn’t want to approach that aspect of the work in strictly a literal sense. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024 Sometimes ambiguous, sometimes literal — with gestures reflecting lyrics — the active dancing, along with everyday, pedestrian movement, can seem both contrived and predictable. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 There was no shortage of jabs, both literal and figurative, during a brawl Tuesday in which rookie Pavel Mintyukov proved his mettle and all 12 players on the ice, goalies included, got involved. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 13 Mar. 2024 Of course, in the modern world, darkness is hard to come by (at least in the literal sense), and light at night can interfere with melatonin production (enter melatonin supplements). Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 11 Mar. 2024 Pablo Larrain’s blend of history and horror casts Augusto Pinochet as a literal vampire. David Heuring, Variety, 3 Mar. 2024 Emi believes in literal translation—that the author’s words are sacred and must be preserved. Nathan Jeffers, Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024 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
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 28 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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