literal

adjective

ˈli-t(ə-)rəl How to pronounce literal (audio)
Definition of literalnext
as in historical
restricted to or based on fact a literal account of the explorer's adventures is actually a lot less interesting than his own exaggerated stories

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of literal Weather wasn’t the only challenge, as a literal war broke out during production. — William Earl, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026 And in some sense, that’s a literal picture of a four-dimensional space. — Quanta Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026 There may be longer races, and there may be more prestigious races, but none require the intestinal fortitude — in the most literal sense — needed to complete the International Taco Bell 50k. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Ideally, suicide prevention starts long before someone reaches a literal precipice. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for literal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literal
  1. historical
  2. factual
  3. true
  4. documentary
  5. nonfictional
Adjective
  • Annals are historical records arranged by year; the clue leverages the entry’s singular form to misdirect us.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Although robust buyer demand briefly drove yields down to session lows following the auction, yield levels above 5% remain substantially higher than the historical norm over the past decade.
    — , CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of historical
Adjective
  • Could that feeling of truth be arrived at via extra-factual means?
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The reason for that is the unquenching market need for solid factual projects that can both be popular on linear channels and drive older viewers to streaming services.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of factual
Adjective
  • From its opening moments, Zoe Kazan’s epic, sprawling Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel, East of Eden, announces that the monstrous Cathy Ames (played by Florence Pugh) is the true center of the story.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The true subject of the movie is the power of law, and the erosion of law.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of true
Adjective
  • The documentary jury was comprised of Sine Plambech, director and anthropologist, Alfredo de Juan, cinematographer, Anne Köhncke, producer, Jela Hasler, director, and Nikolas Geyrhalter, director, cinematographer and producer.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Over five days, the festival seeks to offer audiences the opportunity to discover extraordinary films, meet filmmakers, and engage with the people shaping the documentary landscape today.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of documentary
Adjective
  • In a world where true-crime shows of both the fictional and nonfictional variety run rampant on our screens, that’s probably not a bad corporate strategy.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This is what gives the film its experiential sincerity — the lived perspective of its Ukrainian crew leaving a nonfictional trace across every level of the fiction, something Stever handles with unusual reverence.
    — Sonya Vseliubska, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of nonfictional

Browse Nearby Words

literacy
literal
literalism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Literal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literal. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nexus

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All