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- Dictionaryliteral/ˈlɪt(ə)rəl/
adjective
- 1. taking words in their usual or most basic sense without metaphor or exaggeration: "dreadful in its literal sense, full of dread"
- 2. (of a translation) representing the exact words of the original text: "a literal translation from the Spanish" Similar Opposite
noun
- 1. a misprint of a letter. British
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having exactly the same meaning as the basic or original meaning of a word or expression: a literal interpretation of the Constitution A literal translation of a phrase in another language gives the meaning of each separate word.
: characterized by a concern mainly with facts. a very literal man. 2. : of, relating to, or expressed in letters. The distress signal SOS has no literal meaning. 3. : reproduced word for word : exact, verbatim. a literal translation.
To describe something as literal is to say that it is exactly what it seems to be. For example, if you put up a literal barrier to keep the world out, you've actually built a real wall.
Definition of 'literal' Word Frequency. literal. (lɪtərəl ) 1. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun] The literal sense of a word or phrase is its most basic sense. In many cases, the people there are fighting, in a literal sense, for their homes. 2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Literal definition: in accordance with, involving, or being the primary or strict meaning of the word or words; not figurative or metaphorical. See examples of LITERAL used in a sentence.
Literal definition: Conforming or limited to the simplest, nonfigurative, or most obvious meaning of a word or words.
adj. 1. Conforming or limited to the simplest, nonfigurative, or most obvious meaning of a word or words. 2. Word for word; verbatim: a literal translation. 3. Avoiding exaggeration, metaphor, or embellishment; factual; prosaic: a literal description; a literal mind. 4. Consisting of, using, or expressed by letters: literal notation. n. Computers.
The literal meaning of a word or phrase is its real or original meaning: the literal meaning / sense.
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English lit‧e‧ral /ˈlɪtərəl/ adjective 1 the literal meaning of a word or expression is its basic or original meaning → figurative literal meaning/sense/interpretation etc A trade war is not a war in the literal sense. 2 → literal translation 3 → literal-minded —literalness noun ...
Definition of literal adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
