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Definition of Literal in English :

Define Literal in English

Literal meaning in English

Meaning of Literal in English

Pronunciation of Literal in English

Literal pronunciation in English

Pronounce Literal in English

Literal

see synonyms of literal

Noun

1. erratum, literal, literal error, misprint, typo, typographical error

a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind

Adjective

2. actual, genuine, literal, real

being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something

Example Sentences:
'her actual motive'
'a literal solitude like a desert'
'a genuine dilemma'

3. literal

without interpretation or embellishment

Example Sentences:
'a literal depiction of the scene before him'

4. literal

limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text

Example Sentences:
'a literal translation'

5. literal

avoiding embellishment or exaggeration (used for emphasis)

Example Sentences:
'it's the literal truth'

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Literal

see synonyms of literal
adjective
1. 
in exact accordance with or limited to the primary or explicit meaning of a word or text
2. 
word for word
3. 
dull, factual, or prosaic
4. 
consisting of, concerning, or indicated by letters
5. 
true; actual
6. mathematics
containing or using coefficients and constants represented by letters: ax2 + b is a literal expression
Compare numerical (sense 3a)
noun
7. Also called: literal error
a misprint or misspelling in a text

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Literal

see synonyms of literal
adjective
1. 
of, involving, or expressed by a letter or letters of the alphabet
literal notation
2. 
following or representing the exact words of the original; word-for-word
a literal translation
3. 
a. 
based on the actual words in their ordinary meaning; not figurative or symbolic
the literal meaning of a passage
b. 
giving the actual denotation of the word
said of the senses of words
c. 
giving the original or earlier meaning of a word; etymological
the literal meaning of ponder is “to weigh”
4. 
a. 
habitually interpreting statements or words according to their actual denotation; prosaic; matter-of-fact
a literal mind
b. 
having a literal mind; lacking imagination
5. 
real; not going beyond the actual facts; accurate; unvarnished
the literal truth
6. 
being so in fact but not in name; virtual
the chairperson is a literal dictator
noun
7.  Chiefly British
a typographical error

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Literal

see synonyms of literal
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
A letter or symbol that stands for itself as opposed to a feature, function, or entity associated with it in a programming language: $ can be a symbol that refers to the end of a line, but as a literal, it is a dollar sign.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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