释义
[ lit -er-uh l ] SHOW IPA
/ ˈlɪt ər əl / PHONETIC RESPELLING
SEE SYNONYMS FOR literal ON THESAURUS.COM
adjective in accordance with, involving, or being the primary or strict meaning of the word or words; not figurative or metaphorical: the literal meaning of a word.
following the words of the original very closely and exactly: a literal translation of Goethe.
true to fact; not exaggerated; actual or factual: a literal description of conditions.
being actually such, without exaggeration or inaccuracy: the literal extermination of a city.
(of persons) tending to construe words in the strict sense or in an unimaginative way; matter-of-fact; prosaic.
of or relating to the letters of the alphabet.
of the nature of letters.
expressed by letters.
affecting a letter or letters: a literal error.
SEE MORE SEE LESS noun a typographical error, especially involving a single letter.
Origin of literal 1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin litterālis “of letters.” See letter1 , -al1
SYNONYMS FOR literal 3 truthful, exact, reliable.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR literal ON THESAURUS.COM
OTHER WORDS FROM literal lit·er·al·ness, noun non·lit·er·al, adjective non·lit·er·al·ly, adverb non·lit·er·al·ness, noun
o·ver·lit·er·al, adjective un·lit·er·al, adjective un·lit·er·al·ly, adverb
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WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH literal literal , littoralWords nearby literal liter, literacy, literacy hour, literacy test, literae humaniores, literal , literalism, literality, literalize, literally, literal-minded
Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for literal I never hear a Democrat talk about these goods, which are, in the literal sense, indivisible—for us all.
The Democrats’ Black Hole—and What They Can Do About It | Michael Tomasky| December 31, 2014| DAILY BEAST
So is the literal “turkey point of view” offered by the GoPros attached to the turkeys as they run around the coop.
A Turkey's View of Thanksgiving | The Daily Beast Video| November 26, 2014| DAILY BEAST
“The amount of literal brainwork needed to do his job too such a toll on him that it sent him to an early grave,” Goode says.
From ‘The Good Wife’ to ‘The Imitation Game’: Matthew Goode Wages His Charm Offensive | Kevin Fallon| November 24, 2014| DAILY BEAST
“Air refueling and airlift assets were the literal pinch I am describing here,” the official said.
First U.S. Stealth Jet Attack on Syria Cost More Than Indian Mission to Mars | Dave Majumdar| September 24, 2014| DAILY BEAST
Then the director, Penny Marshall, encouraged him to drop some of the literal behavior and put more of himself into the character.
The Stacks: Robin Williams, More Than A Shtick Figure | Joe Morgenstern| August 16, 2014| DAILY BEAST
A "Permanent World's Fair" may be a phrase distressing to the literal mind.
The Art Of The Moving Picture | Vachel Lindsay
They allow no liberty of thought; they believe in literal inspiration.
The literal fulfilment of that awful portent was but an incident in the annihilation of the city less than forty years later.
Jesus the Christ | James Edward Talmage
It was a literal crucifixion, without the erection of the cross.
The Life and Times of Col. Daniel Boone, Hunter, Soldier, and Pioneer | Edward Sylvester Ellis
It will be observed that the Greek is given, and under each Greek word an English equivalent, "as literal as may be to be useful."
Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 1 of 2) | B. H. Roberts
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British Dictionary definitions for literal adjective in exact accordance with or limited to the primary or explicit meaning of a word or text
word for word
dull, factual, or prosaic
consisting of, concerning, or indicated by letters
true; actual
maths containing or using coefficients and constants represented by letters: ax² + b is a literal expression Compare numerical (def. 3a)
SEE MORE SEE LESS noun Also called: literal error a misprint or misspelling in a text
Derived forms of literal literalness or literality (ˌlɪtəˈrælɪtɪ ), noun Word Origin for literal C14: from Late Latin litterālis concerning letters, from Latin littera letter
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Words related to literal accurate, actual, unvarnished, authentic, true, natural, faithful, simple, plain, close, gospel, ordinary, apparent, bona fide, critical, genuine, methodical, scrupulous, strict, unerring