literal
literal Lexical Profile
literal Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Taking words in their most basic, exact sense without metaphor, exaggeration, or allegory.
"A purely literal interpretation of the poem misses its deeper symbolic meaning."
Reproducing the exact words of an original text or speech, especially in a translation.
"The scholar provided a literal translation of the ancient Greek manuscript alongside an idiomatic version."
Lacking imagination or subtlety; overly prosaic and matter-of-fact (of a person or their thinking).
"He was too literal to appreciate the playful irony in his colleague's remarks."
• noun
A notation in source code representing a fixed value directly, such as a number, character, or string, rather than a variable (in computer programming).
"In the expression, the string literal is enclosed in quotation marks so the compiler treats it as raw text."
British A misprint or typographical error involving a single letter or character in a printed text.
"The proofreader spotted a literal in the headline just before the newspaper went to press."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'literal' (taking words in their exact, non-figurative sense) with 'literate' (able to read and write), 'literary' (relating to literature), or 'littoral' (relating to a seashore).
• Rhymes for literal
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Old French from Late Latin 'literalis' ('of or belonging to letters or writing'), derived from Latin 'littera' ('letter of the alphabet').