Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Literal
Lit′er-al
(lĭt′ẽr-al)
, Adj.
1.
According to the letter or verbal expression; real; not figurative or metaphorical;
as, the
. literal
meaning of a phraseIt hath but one simple
literal
sense whose light the owls can not abide. Tyndale.
2.
Following the letter or exact words; not free.
A middle course between the rigor of
literal
translations and the liberty of paraphrasts. Hooker.
3.
Consisting of, or expressed by, letters.
The
literal
notation of numbers was known to Europeans before the ciphers. Johnson.
4.
Giving a strict or literal construction; unimaginative; matter-of-fact; – applied to persons.
Literal contract
(Law)
, a contract of which the whole evidence is given in writing.
Bouvier.
– Literal equation
(Math.)
, an equation in which known quantities are expressed either wholly or in part by means of letters; – distinguished from a
numerical equation
.Lit′er-al
,Noun.
Literal meaning.
[Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
Webster 1828 Edition
Literal
LIT'ERAL
,Adj.
1.
According to the letter; primitive; real; not figurative or metaphorical; as the literal meaning of a phrase.2.
Following the letter or exact words; not free; as a literal translation.3.
Consisting of letters.The literal notation of numbers was known to Europeans before the ciphers.
LIT'ERAL
,Noun.
Definition 2024
literal
literal
English
Alternative forms
- litteral (obsolete)
Adjective
literal (comparative more literal, superlative most literal)
- 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.
- Hooker
- a middle course between the rigour of literal translation and the liberty of paraphrasts
- 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.
- (uncommon) Consisting of, or expressed by, letters.
- a literal equation
- Johnson
- The literal notation of numbers was known to Europeans before the ciphers.
- (of a person) Giving a strict or literal construction; unimaginative; matter-of-fact.
Antonyms
- (exactly as stated): figurative
Related terms
Translations
exactly as stated; read or understood without additional interpretation
|
|
following the letter or exact words, not taking liberties
|
consisting of, or expressed by, letters
|
Noun
literal (plural literals)
- (programming) A value, as opposed to an identifier, written into the source code of a computer program.
- (logic) A propositional variable or the negation of a propositional variable.
Translations
programming: value written in the source code
See also
External links
- literal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- literal in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
Anagrams
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowing from Late Latin litterālis.
Adjective
literal m, f (masculine and feminine plural literals)
Derived terms
Related terms
External links
- “literal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Galician
Etymology
Borrowing from Late Latin litterālis.
Adjective
literal m, f (plural literais)
Derived terms
Related terms
External links
- “literal” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌlɪtəˈʀaːl/
- Rhymes: -aːl
Adjective
literal (not comparable)
Declension
Declension of literal
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| 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 | |
Old French
Etymology
Borrowing from Late Latin litterālis.
Adjective
literal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular literale)
Descendants
Portuguese
Etymology
Borrowing from Late Latin litterālis.
Adjective
literal m, f (plural literais, comparable)
- literal (understood exactly as written, without additional interpretation)
Derived terms
Noun
literal m (plural literais)
- (programming) literal (value written in the source code)
Related terms
External links
- literal in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowing from Late Latin litterālis.
Adjective
literal m, f (plural literales)
Derived terms
Related terms
External links
- “literal” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima segunda edición, Real Academia Española, 2001.