The meaning of LITERAL is according with the letter of the scriptures. How to use literal in a sentence.

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.

A literal translation of a phrase in another language gives the meaning of each separate word.

You use literal to describe someone who uses or understands words in a plain and simple way. Dennis is a very literal person.

Sep 22, 2025 · From English literal, from Old French literal, from Late Latin litteralis, also literalis (“of or pertaining to letters or to writing”), from Latin littera, litera (“a letter”).

Definition of literal adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

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 …

tending to understand words in the strict sense or in an unimaginative way: He's so literal that he never knows when we're joking. lit•er•al•ness, n. [uncountable] See -lit-.

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.

Synonyms for LITERAL: historical, factual, true, documentary, nonfictional, matter-of-fact, real, actual; Antonyms of LITERAL: fictional, theoretical, fictitious, hypothetical, speculative, …