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Literal
Definitions
- 1 Exactly as stated; read or understood without interpretation; according to the letter; not figurative or metaphorical; following the letter or exact words; not taking liberties; etymonic rather than idiomatic.
"The literal translation of Spanish irse al otro barrio is "to go to the other neighbourhood" but it means "to die"."
- 2 Actual, real, physical.
"Mechanically, operating this hybrid vehicle is sort of a cross between driving a car and taming an animal, which means the movie treats the audience to the sight of a man (pretending to be a teenager) driving a literal monster truck in a field next to a woman (also pretending to be a teenager) riding a horse."
- 3 That which generally assumes that the plainest reading of a given text is correct but which allows for metaphor where context indicates it. broadly
- 4 Following the historical-grammatical method of biblical interpretation. specifically
"It is most important to distinguish literalistic from literal interpretation. [...] ‘Literalistic’ interpretation is like word-for-word translation that yields the verbally exact or ‘formally equivalent’ versions but also runs the risk of overlooking the main (illocutionary) point. Literal interpretation, on the other hand, is more like a translation that strives for dynamic equivalence and yields the literary sense."
- 5 Consisting of, or expressed by, letters (of an alphabet); using literation. uncommon
"a literal equation"
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- 6 Unimaginative; matter-of-fact; literal-minded.
- 7 Used nonliterally as an intensifier. See literally for usage notes. proscribed
"Telemarketers are the literal worst."
- 8 Misspelling of littoral. alt-of, misspelling
- 1 without interpretation or embellishment wordnet
- 2 limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text wordnet
- 3 avoiding embellishment or exaggeration (used for emphasis) wordnet
- 4 being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something wordnet
- 1 A misprint (or occasionally a scribal error) that affects a letter.
- 2 a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind wordnet
- 3 A value, as opposed to an identifier, written into the source code of a computer program.
- 4 A propositional variable, or the negation of a propositional variable. ᵂᵖ
- 5 Misspelling of littoral. alt-of, misspelling
Etymology
From Middle English literal, from Old French literal, from Late Latin litteralis or literalis (“of or pertaining to letters or to writing”), from Latin littera or litera (“a letter”). See letter.
From Middle English literal, from Old French literal, from Late Latin litteralis or literalis (“of or pertaining to letters or to writing”), from Latin littera or litera (“a letter”). See letter.
See also for "literal"
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Unscramble this word: literal