literal
Exactly as stated; read or understood without interpretation; according to the letter; not figurative or metaphorical; following the letter or exact words; not taking liberties; etymonic rather than idiomatic.
Example
“A literal reading of the law would prohibit it, but that is clearly not the intent.”
Other meanings
Actual, real, physical.
That which generally assumes that the plainest reading of a given text is correct but which allows for metaphor where context indicates it.
Related words
- hexaliteral
- literality
- literalization
- unliteral
- antiliteral
- biliteral
- duoliteral
- hyperliteralism
- illiteral
- literal equation
- literalism
- literalist
Word history
From Latin "littera".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “literal” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.