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
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Recent Examples of literal
Some are moving literal inches; others more than 10 feet per year.
—
Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Mantello uses a 1948 draft of Arthur Miller’s script to reimagine the American masterpiece as a psychological drama unfolding in liminal space rather than a literal family home.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
And, yes, there is a literal devil in this one, which won’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with LaValle’s novel.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
Immigration judges are also literal government employees in the Executive Office for Immigration Review, part of the Department of Justice and ultimately under the command of the president.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for literal
Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Mantello uses a 1948 draft of Arthur Miller’s script to reimagine the American masterpiece as a psychological drama unfolding in liminal space rather than a literal family home.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
And, yes, there is a literal devil in this one, which won’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with LaValle’s novel.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
Immigration judges are also literal government employees in the Executive Office for Immigration Review, part of the Department of Justice and ultimately under the command of the president.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for literal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literal
Adjective
-
But this island destination also boasts a walkable downtown, natural beauty, historical fort, top-notch golf courses, and a mix of both luxe resorts and quaint inns.—
Lisa A. Beach,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
-
Kon Knueppel’s presence couldn’t spur the Charlotte Hornets to any historical luck.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
This story has been updated to correct a factual error.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Among Friday’s industry crowd were BBC chief content officer Kate Phillips; BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell; Zai Bennett, CEO of BBC Studios Global Content; and Kate Ward, managing director, factual at BBC Studios.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
This is true only in the narrowest sense.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
That was certainly true on Monday, as Lamont signed a new 124-page labor bill into law.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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Think Deadliest Catch and its quasi-documentary format or, more recently, Love on the Spectrum.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 May 2026
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Ultimately, the team’s work resulted in uncovering documentary evidence of more than 1,000 incidents of ghost voting, forgery and other forms of vote fraud.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Pee-Wee as Himself, the 2025 Emmy award winner for best documentary or nonfictional special, is also among the nominees.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
-
That delirious excess befits the essence of Lapid’s method, which is a fusion of fiction with indigestibly and irreducibly nonfictional elements.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Literally
A word that (literally) drives people nuts
Cite this Entry
“Literal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literal. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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