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
The seventh selection from the 2019 draft was supposed to be a literal centrepiece for a Sabres team that spent years accumulating talent through the draft, having drafted Rasmus Dahlin first in 2018 and still having top picks Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart on their roster.
—
Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
There, surrounding apple orchards and clumps of fallen, rotting fruit furnish the film with a rather literal visual metaphor, to which Etzler returns a bit too often.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
And all while Bunny sat there in our midst like literal magic.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
That led us to think, in a very literal sense, about parents.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
There, surrounding apple orchards and clumps of fallen, rotting fruit furnish the film with a rather literal visual metaphor, to which Etzler returns a bit too often.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
And all while Bunny sat there in our midst like literal magic.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
That led us to think, in a very literal sense, about parents.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literal
Adjective
-
The 7% rule refers to the historical average annual return of the stock market.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
What’s being erased are actual historical facts.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Off Course was co-commissioned for the BBC by Catherine Catton, head of factual entertainment and events, and Eddie Doyle, head of Northern Ireland commissioning.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
-
May acted as his own attorney at a hearing that included prosecutors showing charts explaining in stark, factual ways what was on each video May is charged with distributing.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Twin Cities,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Watching my great-grandmother, grandmother, mother and aunt serve as loyal members of this sorority shaped my understanding of what true sisterhood and service look like.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 Oct. 2025
-
With markets looking unperturbed, that might turn out true sooner if nothing serious comes in the way of the bulls.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In the documentary field, the BIFF Mecenat Award, which recognizes outstanding Asian non-fiction features, went to Raining Dust by Korea’s Ju Romi and Kim Taeil, and Singing Wings by Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker Hemen Khaledi.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Sep. 2025
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The premise is that the documentary crew that filmed Michael, Pam, Jim, Dwight, and all the rest for years has now set the sights and cameras on the staff of the historic and struggling newspaper The Truth Teller in Toledo, Ohio.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Recently, this sacrament has garnered nonfictional attention.—
Timothy Gabrielli,
The Conversation,
25 Aug. 2025
Video
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 5 Oct. 2025.
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