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literal

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The definition of literal is a translation that strictly follows the exact words.

(adjective)

An example of literal is the belief that the world was created in exactly six days with the seventh day devoted to rest, as per Genesis in the Bible.

See literal in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

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

Origin: ME litterall < MFr litteral < LL litteralis < L littera, letter

noun

Chiefly Brit. a typographical error

Related Forms:

literalness noun

See literal in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Being in accordance with, conforming to, or upholding the exact or primary meaning of a word or words.
Word for word; verbatim: a literal translation.
Avoiding exaggeration, metaphor, or embellishment; factual; prosaic: a literal description; a literal mind.
Consisting of, using, or expressed by letters: literal notation.
Conforming or limited to the simplest, nonfigurative, or most obvious meaning of a word or words.

noun
Computer Science

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.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Late Latin litterālis, of letters

Origin: , from Latin littera, lītera, letter; see letter

Related Forms: