literalization
Taking words literally
Literalization is the act of making something literal—taking what was figurative, abstract, or metaphorical and rendering it concrete or actual.
A film might literalize a character's inner demons by showing actual monsters.
In psychoanalytic contexts, literalization describes treating symbolic content as real: His literalization of the dream imagery missed its deeper meaning.
The word often carries a note of criticism, suggesting something has been flattened or made too obvious.
Making abstract things tangible
- reificationTreating abstracts as concrete
- materializationComing into tangible existence
- manifestationOutward display of something
- actualizationMaking something fully real
embodiment · substantiation · objectification · unpacking · grounding
Stated monetary amount
- exegesisCritical textual interpretation
- hermeneuticsStudy of interpretation methods
- textualismInterpreting law literally
- originalismInterpreting by founding-era meaning
In identical wording
- word-for-wordExactly as stated
- strictRigorous, without flexibility
- preciseExactly correct, no error
- directUndeviating or to guide
textual · unembellished · denotative · nonfigurative · unadorned · unvarnished · pedantic · rigid
State of being equal
- word-for-wordExactly as stated
- calqueBorrowed phrase translated literally
- glossShine or annotation
- interlinearBetween lines of text
concretization
Making abstract things tangible
- reificationTreating abstracts as concrete
- materializationComing into tangible existence
- manifestationOutward display of something
actualization · embodiment · substantiation · objectification · unpacking · grounding
face-value
Stated monetary amount
- exegesisCritical textual interpretation
- hermeneuticsStudy of interpretation methods
- textualismInterpreting law literally
originalism · decontextualization · flattening · reductionism
verbatim
In identical wording
- word-for-wordExactly as stated
- strictRigorous, without flexibility
- preciseExactly correct, no error
direct · textual · unembellished · denotative · nonfigurative · unadorned · unvarnished · pedantic · rigid · inflexible
equivalence
State of being equal
- word-for-wordExactly as stated
- calqueBorrowed phrase translated literally
- glossShine or annotation
interlinear · crib · pony
literalizationfiguration
Giving form to concepts
symbolization · abstraction · allegory · allegorization · spiritualization
literalizationabstraction
Distilling to essential qualities
generalization · idealization · conceptualization · theorization · universalization
literal, literary, literate, literally, liter, liters, literalness, literalism, literalist