Literal - definition, pronunciation, transcription

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Amer.  |ˈlɪtərəl|  American pronunciation of the word literal
Brit.  |ˈlɪt(ə)r(ə)l|  British pronunciation of the word literal

noun

- a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind (syn: erratum, misprint, typo)

adjective

- being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something (syn: actual, genuine, real)
a literal solitude like a desert
- without interpretation or embellishment
a literal depiction of the scene before him
- avoiding embellishment or exaggeration (used for emphasis)
it's the literal truth

Extra examples

I was using the word in its literal sense.

The literal meaning of “know your ropes” is “to know a lot about ropes,” while figuratively it means “to know a lot about how to do something.”

The story he told was basically true, even if it wasn't the literal truth.

Her translation is too literal.

A trade war is not a war in the literal sense.

The word has both literal meanings and figurative meanings.

Exact observation of the outer world was the complement to a literal reading of Scripture.

The word has one literal denotation but several different connotations.

...fundamentalist preachers who anathematize any departure from a literal interpretation of the Bible...

His views on the literal truth of the Bible brought him into conflict with other Christian leaders.

The word has a metaphorical as well as a literal meaning.

Word forms

noun
singular: literal
plural: literals
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