literal
Word for word
Literal describes something that adheres to the exact, primary meaning of words without metaphor or exaggeration.
A literal translation renders text word for word rather than capturing its spirit.
If you take something literally, you interpret it according to its surface meaning: I said I was starving, but I didn't mean it literally.
In casual speech, literal and literally have become intensifiers that often contradict their original sense: I literally died laughing.
This usage irritates purists but is now widespread.
Exactly as stated
- verbatimIn identical wording
- preciseExactly correct, no error
- accurateConforming to fact
- strictRigorous, without flexibility
faithful · exact · unaltered · unadulterated · authentic · textual · transcription · quotation
Word's explicit dictionary meaning
- definitionStatement of meaning
- dictionaryAlphabetical word reference
- meaningWhat something signifies
- explicitClearly and directly expressed
unambiguous · unequivocal · clear-cut · straightforward · plain · direct · simple · semantic
Accordance with reality
- factVerifiable piece of information
- realityWhat actually exists
- actualExisting in fact
- genuineTruly what it claims
real · objective · empirical · verifiable · documentary · historical · accurate · truthful
Basic and unremarkable
- unadornedLacking decoration or ornament
- bareLacking any covering
- starkSevere and unadorned
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
austere · unvarnished · blunt · unornamented · unpretentious · straightforward · simple · basic
Representing through imagery
- metaphoricalSymbolic rather than literal
- symbolicRepresenting through signs
- allegoricalExpressing meaning through symbols
- idiomaticCharacteristic of natural speech
poetic · abstract · rhetorical · hyperbolic · ironic · sarcastic · nuance · interpretation
word-for-word
Exactly as stated
strict · faithful · exact · unaltered · unadulterated · authentic · textual · transcription · quotation · citation
denotation
Word's explicit dictionary meaning
- definitionStatement of meaning
- dictionaryAlphabetical word reference
- meaningWhat something signifies
explicit · unambiguous · unequivocal · clear-cut · straightforward · plain · direct · simple · semantic · lexical
truth
Accordance with reality
genuine · real · objective · empirical · verifiable · documentary · historical · accurate · truthful · nonfiction
plain
Basic and unremarkable
spartan · austere · unvarnished · blunt · unornamented · unpretentious · straightforward · simple · basic · undecorated
figurative
Representing through imagery
- metaphoricalSymbolic rather than literal
- symbolicRepresenting through signs
- allegoricalExpressing meaning through symbols
idiomatic · poetic · abstract · rhetorical · hyperbolic · ironic · sarcastic · nuance · interpretation · imagery
- -al adjectivescultural, emotional, environmental, federal, financial
- Language Wordsverbal, oral, written, spoken, fluent
- regexregex, pattern, match, quantifier, anchor
- Semantic Webtriple, triples, ontologies, knowledge graph, semantic web
- syntax elementsstatement, expression, clause, declaration, definition
- translationtranslator, free translation, French translation, interpreting, interpreter
literalfigurative
Representing through imagery
metaphorical · symbolic · allegorical · nonliteral · poetic
- literary festivalEvent celebrating authors and books
- literary reviewEvaluation of written works
- children's literatureBooks aimed at youth
- classic literatureEnduring fictional works
- European literatureWritten works from Europe
- German literatureBooks from Deutschland
literature, literary, literate, literally, illiterate, obliterate, literalness, literalism, literalist