Literal Meaning
/ˈlɪt(ə)ɹəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjExactly as stated; read or understood without interpretation; according to the letter; not figurative or metaphorical; following the letter or exact words; not taking liberties; etymonic rather than idiomatic.
adjActual, real, physical.
Sentence Examples
I foolishly interpreted the idiom according to its literal sense.
I took it in a literal sense.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The student interpreted the poem's words in a ____ way, ignoring the symbolism.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The student provided a ____ translation of the poem, but he failed to capture any of its deeper meaning.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Late Latin littera Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Late Latin -ālis Late Latin litterālisbor. Old French literalbor. Middle English literal English literal From Middle English literal, from Old French literal, from Late Latin litteralis or literalis (“of or pertaining to letters or to writing”), from Latin littera or litera (“a letter”). See letter.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"a middle course between the rigour of literal translations and the liberty of paraphrasts"
— [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):
"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."
— 1989, “Preface to the New Revised Standard Version”, in Bible Research:
"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."
— 2017 January 12, Jesse Hassenger, “A literal monster truck is far from the stupidest thing about Monster Trucks”, in The Onion AV Club:
"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."
— 1998, Kevin Vanhoozer, “6. Redeeming the Text: The Rationality of Literary Acts”, in Is There a Meaning in This Text?, page 311:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The student interpreted the poem's words in a ____ way, ignoring the symbolism.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The student provided a ____ translation of the poem, but he failed to capture any of its deeper meaning.