Literal

Origin

From Old French literal, from Late Latin litteralis, also literalis ("of or pertaining to letters or to writing"), from Latin littera, litera ("a letter"); see letter.

Full definition of literal

Adjective

1. Exactly as stated; read or understood without additional interpretation; according to the letter or verbal expression; real; not figurative or metaphorical.The literal translation is “hands full of bananas” but it means empty-handed.
• Hookera middle course between the rigour of literal translation and the liberty of paraphrasts
2. Following the letter or exact words; not free; not taking liberties.A literal reading of the law would prohibit it, but that is clearly not the intent.
3. (uncommon) Consisting of, or expressed by, letters.a literal equation
• JohnsonThe literal notation of numbers was known to Europeans before the ciphers.
4. (of a person) Giving a strict or literal construction; unimaginative; matter-of-fact.

Antonyms

• (exactly as stated) figurative

Related terms

• letter
• literacy
• literary
• literate
• literature

Noun

1. (programming) A value, as opposed to an identifier, written into the source code of a computer program.
2. (logic) A propositional variable or the negation of a propositional variable.^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resolution_%28logic%29}

Anagrams

• tallier