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- pronunciation:
- lI
t
rl
- features:
- Word Combinations (adjective), Word Parts
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| definition 1: |
in accordance with the ordinary, exact, or primary meaning of a word or words; not figurative or metaphorical.
If someone is starving in the literal sense, that person is actually dying from lack of food and not simply very hungry.His literal understanding of things made it difficult for him to see the humor in many jokes.- antonyms:
- figurative
- similar words:
- concrete, exact, explicit
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| definition 2: |
exactly following the words of the original.
a literal translation- synonyms:
- direct, strict, verbatim, word-for-word
- similar words:
- close, concrete, exact, faithful, precise
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| definition 3: |
concerned chiefly with matters of fact; unimaginative; prosaic.
a literal-minded individual- synonyms:
- matter-of-fact, prosaic, prosy, unimaginative, uninteresting
- similar words:
- boring, down-to-earth, dull, mundane, serious, tedious, vapid
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| definition 4: |
true to fact; unexaggerated or unembellished.
a literal description of the accident- synonyms:
- actual, factual, plain, realistic, unvarnished
- similar words:
- simple
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| definition 5: |
relating to or expressed with letters.
- synonyms:
- lettered
- similar words:
- typographical, verbal
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| related words: |
accurate, concrete, factual, true, truthful |
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| derivation: |
literalness (n.) |
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