literal

• lit. (abbreviation)
• litteral (obsolete)

From Middle English literal, from Old French literal, from Late Latin litteralis or literalis (“of or pertaining to letters or to writing”), from Latin littera or litera (“a letter”). See letter.

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɪt(ə)ɹəl/^[1]

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈlɪtəɹəl/
• Homophone: littoral

literal (comparative more literal, superlative most literal)

1. Exactly as stated; read or understood without additional interpretation; according to the letter or verbal expression; real; not figurative or metaphorical, and etymonic rather than idiomatic.

   The literal translation of Spanish irse al otro barrio is "to go to another neighbourhood" but it means "to die".

   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     a middle course between the rigour of literal translations and the liberty of paraphrasts

   • 1989, “Preface to the New Revised Standard Version”, in Bible Research‎^[2]:

     Within the constraints set by the original texts and by the mandates of the Division, the Committee has followed the maxim, 'As literal as possible, as free as necessary.' As a consequence, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) remains essentially a literal translation.

   • 2017 January 12, Jesse Hassenger, “A literal monster truck is far from the stupidest thing about Monster Trucks”, in The Onion AV Club‎^[3]:

     Mechanically, operating this hybrid vehicle is sort of a cross between driving a car and taming an animal, which means the movie treats the audience to the sight of a man (pretending to be a teenager) driving a literal monster truck in a field next to a woman (also pretending to be a teenager) riding a horse.

2. 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.

3. (theology, loosely) That which generally assumes that the plainest reading of a given scripture is correct but which allows for metaphor where context indicates it; (specifically) following the historical-grammatical method of biblical interpretation
   • 1998, Kevin Vanhoozer, “6. Redeeming the Text: The Rationality of Literary Acts”, in Is There a Meaning in This Text?, page 311:

     It is most important to distinguish literalistic from literal interpretation. [...] ‘Literalistic’ interpretation is like word-for-word translation that yields the verbally exact or ‘formally equivalent’ versions but also runs the risk of overlooking the main (illocutionary) point. Literal interpretation, on the other hand, is more like a translation that strives for dynamic equivalence and yields the literary sense.

4. (uncommon) Consisting of, or expressed by, letters (of an alphabet); using literation.

   a literal equation

5. (of a person) Unimaginative; matter-of-fact
6. (proscribed) Used nonliterally as an intensifier. See literally for usage notes.

   Telemarketers are the literal worst.

7. Misspelling of littoral.

• (antonym(s) of “exactly as stated”): figurative, metaphorical, nonliteral, illiteral

• hyperliteral, overliteral

• letter
• literacy
• literary
• literate
• literature

literal (plural literals)

2. (epigraphy, typography) A misprint (or occasionally a scribal error) that affects a letter.

   Synonym: typo

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

   Synonym: literal constant

4. (logic) A propositional variable or the negation of a propositional variable. ^Wp
5. Misspelling of littoral.

• constant
• prime formula

• “literal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “literal”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

• tallier

Borrowed from Late Latin litterālis.

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [li.təˈɾal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [li.teˈɾal]

literal m or f (masculine and feminine plural literals)

1. literal

• literalment

• lletra

• “literal”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Borrowed from Late Latin litterālis.

literal m or f (plural literais)

1. literal

• literalmente

• letra

• “literal”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

• IPA^(key): /ˌlɪtəˈʁaːl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːl

literal (strong nominative masculine singular literaler, comparative literaler, superlative am literalsten)

1. literate (of cultures, etc., not of individuals)

   Es gibt orale und literale Kulturen.

   There are oral and literate cultures.

• schreibkundig

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”).

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /litəˈral/ [li.t̪əˈral]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: li‧te‧ral

litêral (comparative lebih literal, superlative paling literal)

1. synonym of harfiah

• “literal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Borrowed from Late Latin litterālis.

literal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular literale)

1. literal (exactly as stated)
2. literal (relating to or composed of letters)

• English: literal
• French: littéral

• litteral (pre-standardization spelling)

Learned borrowing from Late Latin litterālis.

• Rhymes: -al, -aw
• Hyphenation: li‧te‧ral

literal m or f (plural literais)

1. literal (understood exactly as written, without additional interpretation)

• literalmente

literal m (plural literais)

1. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (programming) literal (value written in the source code)

literal!

1. (colloquial, Internet slang) “literally!”; “it’s just like you say!” (used to express ecstatic agreement with something)

   Synonym: real

• letra
• letrado
• literatura

• “literal” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

Borrowed from French littéral, from Latin litteralis. By surface analysis, literă +‎ -al.

literal m or n (feminine singular literală, masculine plural literali, feminine and neuter plural literale)

1. literal

Borrowed from Late Latin litterālis.

• IPA^(key): /liteˈɾal/ [li.t̪eˈɾal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: li‧te‧ral

literal m or f (masculine and feminine plural literales)

1. literal

literal

1. (colloquial, intensifier) literally, really, truly
   • 2020 December 31, @sofsweets, Twitter‎^[4], archived from the original on 18 July 2024:

     buenas noches, promociono esto porque literal en segundos ya me volví orgullosa de lo que escribí

     good night, i'm touting this because I literally became proud of what I've written in seconds

   • 2021 December 31, @Micaaaottone, Twitter‎^[5], archived from the original on 18 July 2024:

     Amo peinar, lo hago con tanto amor que literal espero que algún dia, esta sea mi profesión❤

     I love combing, I do it with so much love that I literally hope one day this will become my occupation

   • 2023 December 31, @stiIwhu, Twitter‎^[6], archived from the original on 18 July 2024:

     Hermanas me puse un vestido re lindo, azul oscuro con detalles en negro y dorado literal mi mejor compra del año

     Sisters I donned a very pretty dress, dark blue with golden and black details literally my best purchase of the year

• “literal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024
• @RAEinforma (6 May 2020) Twitter‎^[7] (in Spanish), archived from the original on 18 July 2024:

  #RAEconsultas El uso ponderativo del adjetivo «literal» como adverbio (de forma similar al de otros adjetivos como «natural») se ha extendido en la lengua de hoy, pero pertenece al nivel coloquial. Es preferible el uso en estos casos de «literalmente». ("The emphatic use of the adjective 'literal' as an adverb (similarly to other adjectives, like 'natural') has spread in today's language, but it belongs at the colloquial level. The use of 'literalmente' is preferable in these cases.")

Borrowed from Spanish literal.

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /liteˈɾal/ [lɪ.t̪ɛˈɾal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: li‧te‧ral

literál (Baybayin spelling ᜎᜒᜆᜒᜇᜎ᜔)

1. literal (exactly as stated)

• literalin

• literaryo
• literatura