Definitions for literal
ˈlɪt ər əllit·er·al

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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

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

2. actual, genuine, literal, realadjective

   being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something

   "her actual motive"; "a literal solitude like a desert"- G.K.Chesterton; "a genuine dilemma"

3. literaladjective

   without interpretation or embellishment

   "a literal depiction of the scene before him"

4. literaladjective

   limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text

   "a literal translation"

5. literaladjective

   avoiding embellishment or exaggeration (used for emphasis)

   "it's the literal truth"

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 2 votes

1. literalnoun

   A value, as opposed to an identifier, written into the source code of a computer program.

2. literalnoun

   A propositional variable or the negation of a propositional variable.

3. literaladjective

   Exactly as stated; read or understood without additional interpretation; according to the letter or verbal expression; real; not figurative or metaphorical.

   The literal translation is hands full of bananas but it means empty-handed.

4. literaladjective

   Following the letter or exact words; not free; not taking liberties.

   A literal reading of the law would prohibit it, but that is clearly not the intent.

5. literaladjective

   Consisting of, or expressed by, letters.

6. Etymology: From literal, from litteralis, also literalis, from littera, litera; see letter.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. LITERALadjective

   Etymology: literal, French; litera, Latin.

   1. According to the primitive meaning, not figurative.

   Through all the writings of the antient fathers, we see that the words, which were, do continue; the only difference is, that whereas before they had a literal, they now have a metaphorical use, and are as so many notes of remembrance unto us, that what they did signify in the letter, is accomplished in the truth. Richard Hooker, b. iv.

   A foundation, being primarily of use in architecture, hath no other literal notation but what belongs to it in relation to an house, or other building, nor figurative, but what is founded in that, and deduced from thence. Henry Hammond.

   2. Following the letter, or exact words.

   The fittest for publick audience are such as, following a middle course between the rigour of literal translations and the liberty of paraphrasts, do with greater shortness and plainness deliver the meaning. Richard Hooker, b. v.

   3. Consisting of letters; as, the literal notation of numbers was known to Europeans before the cyphers.

2. Literalnoun

   Primitive or literal meaning.

   How dangerous it is in sensible things to use metaphorical expressions unto the people, and what absurd conceits they will swallow in their literals, an example we have in our profession. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours, b. iv.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. literal

   Literal is used to indicate that words, phrases, or statements are taken or interpreted exactly and directly, without any exaggeration, metaphor, or figure of speech. It refers to the most basic, concrete, or obvious meanings or interpretations of something.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Literaladjective

   according to the letter or verbal expression; real; not figurative or metaphorical; as, the literal meaning of a phrase

2. Literaladjective

   following the letter or exact words; not free

3. Literaladjective

   consisting of, or expressed by, letters

4. Literaladjective

   giving a strict or literal construction; unimaginative; matter-of fast; -- applied to persons

5. Literalnoun

   literal meaning

6. Etymology: [F. litral, littral, L. litteralis, literalis, fr. littera, litera, a letter. See Letter.]

WikidataRate this definition:2.3 / 3 votes

1. Literal

   In mathematical logic, a literal is an atomic formula or its negation. The definition mostly appears in proof theory, e.g. in conjunctive normal form and the method of resolution. Literals can be divided into two types: ⁕A positive literal is just an atom. ⁕A negative literal is the negation of an atom. For a literal, the complementary literal is a literal corresponding to the negation of, we can write to denote the complementary literal of . More precisely, if then is and if then is . In the context of a formula in the conjunctive normal form, a literal is pure if the literal's complement does not appear in the formula.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Literal

   lit′ėr-al, adj. according to the letter: plain: not figurative or metaphorical: following the letter or exact meaning, word for word.—v.t. Lit′eralise.—ns. Lit′eraliser; Lit′eralism, strict adherence to the letter: interpretation that is merely verbal: (art) exact and unimaginative rendering of objects; Lit′eralist; Literal′ity.—adv. Lit′erally.—n. Lit′eralness. [Fr.,—L. literalis—litera, a letter.]

Anagrams for literal »

1. tallier

How to pronounce literal?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say literal in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of literal in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of literal in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of literal in a Sentence

1. George Steiner:

   It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past.

2. Jang Jin-sung:

   It's like it only counts as a human rights problem if there are literal beatings, camps, but the entire system is brutal and inhumane. The way the surveillance is run ... The physical aspect is just one side of the experience.

3. Attorney Matthew Fletcher:

   How can he go left if he can’t see? this was a literal presentation of being blindsided. He was attacked on his blind side. To me it seems obvious. He’s being punched in the face, he can’t see.

4. Stacy Langton:

   It's literal pornography, that's the problem.

5. Stephen Jay Gould:

   “The literal record was not a hopelessly and imperfect fraction of truly insensible gradation within large populations but an accurate reflection of the actual process identified by evolutionists as the chief motor of biological change. The theory of punctuated equilibrium was, in its initial formulation, little more than this insight adumbrated.”

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=literal
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Literal
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=literal
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literal
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=literal
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=literal