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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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 literalism This isn’t the kind of puzzle thriller in which all the elements click into place with a thudding literalism that compliments an attentive eye. Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025 Its musings on the spiritual — or even on the innocent, the naïve, the youthful — begin and end in the realm of documentarian literalism. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025 For decades the insistence on the truth value of rap lyrics was of paramount importance; now, that has run headlong into the literalism of law enforcement interpretation. Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024 The spectacle here is one based on literalism: nothing need be imagined ever again. Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for literalism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literalism
Noun
  • While the film is better off with all the realism, the production costs went up as a result.
    Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025
  • Those non-actors lent a realism that shooting on a Hollywood lot with seasoned stars cannot replicate.
    Marco della Cava, USA Today, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • The mockumentary is packed with amazing deadpan performances by young actors whose comic timing and naturalism make for consistently hilarious television.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 June 2025
  • This half-hearted interest in naturalism hurts more than helps.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Literalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literalism. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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