literal sense
What words denote
The literal sense of a word or phrase is its most basic, direct meaning—what it denotes without metaphor, irony, or figurative extension.
When someone says I'm drowning in work, the literal sense of drowning involves actual submersion in water; the figurative sense means being overwhelmed.
Reading something in its literal sense means taking the words at face value: The literal sense of "break a leg" would be alarming if you didn't know it means good luck.
- word-for-wordExactly as stated
- exactPerfectly correct, no deviation
- verbatimIn identical wording
- preciseExactly correct, no error
- plain meaningDirect, straightforward interpretation
plain · straightforward · denotation · meaning · text · dictionary · face-value · unadorned · explicit · actual · strict · concrete · surface · by the book · translation · interpret · reading · basic
- allegoryAnimal Farm, Narnia, The Little Prince, religious allegory, political allegory
- exegesisbiblical commentary, typology, marginal notes, lemma, textual analysis
- Swedenborgianismcorrespondences, glorification, memorabilia, New Jerusalem, spiritual world
- figuresfigure of speech, figure, trope, simile, metaphor
- word originsetymology, word origins, word origin, word history, word roots
- Catholic Theologydogma, sacred tradition, divine revelation, papal infallibility, infallibility
literal sensemetaphor
Implied identity comparison
figurative meaning · figurative language · metaphorical meaning · symbolic meaning · metonymy
literal sensedeeper meaning
Significance beyond the surface
hidden meaning · subtext · implied meaning · connotation · reading between the lines
literal sensefigurative meaning
Non-literal intended significance
metaphorical meaning · figurative · metaphorical · symbolic meaning · nonliteral
literal, literally, literalness, literalism, literalist, literate, literacy, illiterate, illiteracy