literal

English

Alternative forms

• litteral (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English literal, 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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɪt(ə)ɹəl/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈlɪtəɹəl/
• Homophone: littoral

Adjective

literal (comparative more literal, superlative most literal)

1. Exactly as stated; read or understood without additional interpretation; according to the letter or verbal expression; real; not figurative or metaphorical, and etymonic rather than idiomatic.

   The literal translation is "hands full of bananas" but it means "empty-handed".

   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     a middle course between the rigour of literal translations and the liberty of paraphrasts

   • 1989, “Preface to the New Revised Standard Version”, in Bible Research‎^[2]:

     Within the constraints set by the original texts and by the mandates of the Division, the Committee has followed the maxim, 'As literal as possible, as free as necessary.' As a consequence, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) remains essentially a literal translation.

   • 2017 January 12, Jesse Hassenger, “A literal monster truck is far from the stupidest thing about Monster Trucks”, in The Onion AV Club‎^[3]:

     Mechanically, operating this hybrid vehicle is sort of a cross between driving a car and taming an animal, which means the movie treats the audience to the sight of a man (pretending to be a teenager) driving a literal monster truck in a field next to a woman (also pretending to be a teenager) riding a horse.

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. (theology) (broadly) That which generally assumes that the plainest reading of a given scripture is correct but which allows for metaphor where context indicates it; (specifically) following the historical-grammatical method of biblical interpretation
   • 1998, Kevin Vanhoozer, “6. Redeeming the Text: The Rationality of Literary Acts”, in Is There a Meaning in This Text?, page 311:

     It is most important to distinguish literalistic from literal interpretation. [...] ‘Literalistic’ interpretation is like word-for-word translation that yields the verbally exact or ‘formally equivalent’ versions but also runs the risk of overlooking the main (illocutionary) point. Literal interpretation, on the other hand, is more like a translation that strives for dynamic equivalence and yields the literary sense.

4. (uncommon) Consisting of, or expressed by, letters (of an alphabet); using literation.

   a literal equation

5. (of a person) Unimaginative; matter-of-fact
6. (proscribed) Used non-literally as an intensifier; see literally for usage notes.

   Telemarketers are the literal worst.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “exactly as stated”): figurative, metaphorical, nonliteral, illiteral

Hyponyms

• hyperliteral, overliteral

Derived terms

Derived terms

• antiliteral
• biliteral
• duoliteral
• hyperliteralism
• illiteral
• literal equation
• literalism
• literalist
• literalistic
• literalize, literalise
• literally
• literal-minded
• literalness
• literal rule
• literal theonymy
• monoliteral
• multiliteral
• pluriliteral
• quadriliteral
• quinqueliteral
• transliteral
• triliteral
• uniliteral

Related terms

• letter
• literacy
• literary
• literate
• literature

Translations

exactly as stated; read or understood without additional interpretation

• Arabic: لَفْظِيّ (lafẓiyy), حَرْفِيّ (ḥarfiyy)
• Armenian: բառացի (hy) (baṙacʻi)
• Bulgarian: буквален (bg) (bukvalen)
• Catalan: literal (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 字面 (zh) (zìmiàn)

• Czech: doslovný (cs)
• Danish: bogstavelig
• Dutch: letterlijk (nl)
• Faroese: bókstavligur
• Finnish: kirjaimellinen (fi), sananmukainen
• French: littéral (fr)
• Galician: literal
• German: wörtlich (de), buchstäblich (de)
• Greek: κατά γράμμα (el) (katá grámma)
• Hungarian: szó szerinti (hu)
• Icelandic: bókstaflegur (is)
• Indonesian: literal, harfiah (id)
• Irish: beacht
• Italian: letterale (it), alla lettera
• Japanese: 逐語的な (ちくごてきな, chikugoteki na)
• Macedonian: буквален (bukvalen)
• Maori: pūrite
• Old English: stæflīċ
• Polish: dosłowny (pl), literalny (pl)
• Portuguese: literal (pt)
• Romanian: literally m or n, literală f
• Russian: буква́льный (ru) (bukválʹnyj), досло́вный (ru) (doslóvnyj)
• Slovak: doslovný
• Spanish: literal (es)
• Swedish: bokstavlig (sv)
• Vietnamese: nghĩa đen (vi), sát nghĩa (of a translation), nguyên văn (vi) (of a translation)
• Welsh: llythrennol (cy)

following the letter or exact words, not taking liberties

• Armenian: բառացի (hy) (baṙacʻi)
• Bulgarian: дословен (dosloven)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 逐字逐句 (zh) (zhúzìzhújù)

• Czech: doslovný (cs)
• Dutch: letterlijk (nl), strikt (nl)
• Finnish: kirjaimellinen (fi), sananmukainen, sanatarkka
• French: littéral (fr)
• Galician: literal m or f
• German: buchstäblich (de)
• Hungarian: szó szerinti (hu), szóról szóra történő, betű szerinti
• Italian: letterale (it), alla lettera
• Japanese: 文字通り (ja) (もじどおり, mojidōri)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: (translation) ordrett

  Nynorsk: (translation) ordrett

• Old English: stæflīċ
• Polish: dosłowny (pl)
• Portuguese: literal (pt)
• Romanian: literally m or n, literală f
• Russian: то́чный (ru) (tóčnyj), буква́льный (ru) (bukválʹnyj), досло́вный (ru) (doslóvnyj)
• Swedish: ordagrann (sv)
• Welsh: llythrennol (cy)

consisting of, or expressed by, letters

• Bulgarian: буквен (bukven)
• Dutch: letter- (nl)
• French: épistolaire (fr)
• Italian: letterale (it)
• Japanese: 文字上の (mojijō no)
• Old English: stæflīċ
• Romanian: literally m or n, literală f
• Russian: бу́квенный (ru) (búkvennyj)
• Welsh: llythrennol (cy)

Noun

literal (plural literals)

2. (epigraphy, typography) A misprint (or occasionally a scribal error) that affects a letter.

   Synonym: typo

3. (programming) A value, as opposed to an identifier, written into the source code of a computer program.

   Synonym: literal constant

4. (logic) A propositional variable or the negation of a propositional variable. ^Wp

Translations

programming: value written in the source code

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 直接量 (zhíjiēliàng), 字面量 (zìmiànliàng)

• Czech: literál m
• Dutch: literaal m
• French: littéral (fr) m, littéraux (fr) m pl
• Greek: κυριολεκτικό (el) n (kyriolektikó)
• Polish: literał m
• Portuguese: literal (pt) m, constante (pt) f

See also

• constant
• prime formula

Further reading

• “literal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “literal”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• tallier

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litterālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [li.təˈɾal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [li.teˈɾal]

Adjective

literal m or f (masculine and feminine plural literals)

1. literal

Derived terms

• literalment

Related terms

• lletra

Further reading

• “literal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Galician

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litterālis.

Adjective

literal m or f (plural literais)

1. literal

Derived terms

• literalmente

Related terms

• letra

Further reading

• “literal”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2024

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌlɪtəˈʁaːl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective

literal (strong nominative masculine singular literaler, comparative literaler, superlative am literalsten)

1. literate (of cultures, etc., not of individuals)

   Es gibt orale und literale Kulturen.

   There are oral and literate cultures.

Declension

Positive forms of literal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist literal	sie ist literal	es ist literal	sie sind literal
strong declension (without article)	nominative	literaler	literale	literales	literale
	genitive	literalen	literaler	literalen	literaler
	dative	literalem	literaler	literalem	literalen
	accusative	literalen	literale	literales	literale
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der literale	die literale	das literale	die literalen
	genitive	des literalen	der literalen	des literalen	der literalen
	dative	dem literalen	der literalen	dem literalen	den literalen
	accusative	den literalen	die literale	das literale	die literalen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein literaler	eine literale	ein literales	(keine) literalen
	genitive	eines literalen	einer literalen	eines literalen	(keiner) literalen
	dative	einem literalen	einer literalen	einem literalen	(keinen) literalen
	accusative	einen literalen	eine literale	ein literales	(keine) literalen

Comparative forms of literal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist literaler	sie ist literaler	es ist literaler	sie sind literaler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	literalerer	literalere	literaleres	literalere
	genitive	literaleren	literalerer	literaleren	literalerer
	dative	literalerem	literalerer	literalerem	literaleren
	accusative	literaleren	literalere	literaleres	literalere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der literalere	die literalere	das literalere	die literaleren
	genitive	des literaleren	der literaleren	des literaleren	der literaleren
	dative	dem literaleren	der literaleren	dem literaleren	den literaleren
	accusative	den literaleren	die literalere	das literalere	die literaleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein literalerer	eine literalere	ein literaleres	(keine) literaleren
	genitive	eines literaleren	einer literaleren	eines literaleren	(keiner) literaleren
	dative	einem literaleren	einer literaleren	einem literaleren	(keinen) literaleren
	accusative	einen literaleren	eine literalere	ein literaleres	(keine) literaleren

Superlative forms of literal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am literalsten	sie ist am literalsten	es ist am literalsten	sie sind am literalsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	literalster	literalste	literalstes	literalste
	genitive	literalsten	literalster	literalsten	literalster
	dative	literalstem	literalster	literalstem	literalsten
	accusative	literalsten	literalste	literalstes	literalste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der literalste	die literalste	das literalste	die literalsten
	genitive	des literalsten	der literalsten	des literalsten	der literalsten
	dative	dem literalsten	der literalsten	dem literalsten	den literalsten
	accusative	den literalsten	die literalste	das literalste	die literalsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein literalster	eine literalste	ein literalstes	(keine) literalsten
	genitive	eines literalsten	einer literalsten	eines literalsten	(keiner) literalsten
	dative	einem literalsten	einer literalsten	einem literalsten	(keinen) literalsten
	accusative	einen literalsten	eine literalste	ein literalstes	(keine) literalsten

See also

• schreibkundig

Indonesian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [litəˈral]
• Hyphenation: li‧tê‧ral

Adjective

literal

1. literal.

   Synonym: harfiah

Further reading

• “literal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litterālis.

Adjective

literal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular literale)

1. literal (exactly as stated)
2. literal (relating to or composed of letters)

Descendants

• English: literal
• French: littéral

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litterālis.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /li.teˈɾaw/ [li.teˈɾaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /li.tɨˈɾal/ [li.tɨˈɾaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /li.tɨˈɾal/ [li.tɨˈɾaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /li.tɨˈɾa.li/

• Rhymes: -al, -aw
• Hyphenation: li‧te‧ral

Adjective

literal m or f (plural literais)

1. literal (understood exactly as written, without additional interpretation)

Derived terms

• literalmente

Noun

literal m (plural literais)

1. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (programming) literal (value written in the source code)

Related terms

• letra
• letrado
• literatura

Further reading

• “literal” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French littéral, from Latin litteralis. By surface analysis, literă +‎ -al.

Adjective

literal m or n (feminine singular literală, masculine plural literali, feminine and neuter plural literale)

1. literal

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	literal		literală		literali	literale
	definite	literalul		literala		literalii	literalele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	literal		literale		literali	literale
	definite	literalului		literalei		literalilor	literalelor

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litterālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liteˈɾal/ [li.t̪eˈɾal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: li‧te‧ral

Adjective

literal m or f (masculine and feminine plural literales)

1. literal

Adverb

literal

1. (colloquial) literally
   • 2020 December 31, @sofsweets, Twitter‎^[4], archived from the original on 2024-07-18:

     buenas noches, promociono esto porque literal en segundos ya me volví orgullosa de lo que escribí

     good night, i'm touting this because I literally became proud of what I've written in seconds

   • 2021 December 31, @Micaaaottone, Twitter‎^[5], archived from the original on 2024-07-18:

     Amo peinar, lo hago con tanto amor que literal espero que algún dia, esta sea mi profesión❤

     I love combing, I do it with so much love that I literally hope one day this will become my occupation

   • 2023 December 31, @stiIwhu, Twitter‎^[6], archived from the original on 2024-07-18:

     Hermanas me puse un vestido re lindo, azul oscuro con detalles en negro y dorado literal mi mejor compra del año

     Sisters I donned a very pretty dress, dark blue with golden and black details literally my best purchase of the year

Derived terms

• literalidad
• literalmente
• traducción literal

 

Related terms

• letra

 

Further reading

• “literal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28
• @RAEinforma (2020 May 6) Twitter‎^[7] (in Spanish), archived from the original on 2024-07-18: “#RAEconsultas El uso ponderativo del adjetivo «literal» como adverbio (de forma similar al de otros adjetivos como «natural») se ha extendido en la lengua de hoy, pero pertenece al nivel coloquial. Es preferible el uso en estos casos de «literalmente».”

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish literal.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /liteˈɾal/ [lɪ.t̪ɛˈɾal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: li‧te‧ral

Adjective

literál (Baybayin spelling ᜎᜒᜆᜒᜇᜎ᜔)

1. literal (exactly as stated)

Derived terms

• literalin

Related terms

• literaryo
• literatura