as in realism
realistic depiction in art and literature
if audiences ever got the literalism they claim they want in movies, they'd be fast asleep by the second reel
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Recent Examples of literalism
But if Judd’s literalism and Caro’s illusionism represent the extreme and irreconcilable ends of the artistic spectrum during the ’60s and ’70s, Bove’s work integrates and combines these apparent artistic antipodes with a contemporary twist.
—
Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
The larger point here is that the new justice and the governor are strong advocates of literalism and originalism — legal doctrines holding that constitutions and laws should be read precisely as the authors wrote and understood them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
Eschewing dull literalism, the bold illustrations lend imaginative flair to the warm, lived-in look of Pye’s production design.
—David Benedict, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
Gilmour’s set, that pile of versatile luggage, has the right idea of allowing us in the audience to imagine the magical city the show’s characters keep describing without ruining it with the literalism of giant 30 Rockefeller Plaza set pieces or, worse, a huge screen.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literalism
Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
The larger point here is that the new justice and the governor are strong advocates of literalism and originalism — legal doctrines holding that constitutions and laws should be read precisely as the authors wrote and understood them.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
Eschewing dull literalism, the bold illustrations lend imaginative flair to the warm, lived-in look of Pye’s production design.
—David Benedict, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
Gilmour’s set, that pile of versatile luggage, has the right idea of allowing us in the audience to imagine the magical city the show’s characters keep describing without ruining it with the literalism of giant 30 Rockefeller Plaza set pieces or, worse, a huge screen.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literalism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literalism
Noun
-
Abraham drew on the cinema verité tradition and the influence of the Cuban school of filmmaking, as well as the lessons of Ritwik Ghatak, whose emphasis on realism, political engagement and emotional intensity had shaped Abraham’s time at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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If Nikolai Gogol and Raymond Chandler had collaborated, this might have been the result—absurdist Slavic magical realism grafted onto an entertaining whodunit.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Noun
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At its center is Johanna herself, crafting a version of her own life with loving naturalism.—
JD Linville,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
In this delightful piece of armchair naturalism, Henion’s goal is to change our vilification of darkness, to see it instead as a restorative balm, and to stoke curiosity about nocturnal landscapes and creatures.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
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Literally
A word that (literally) drives people nuts
Cite this Entry
“Literalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literalism. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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