literal
adjective
1. being or reflecting the true or genuine character of something; real.
- a literal solitude like a desert
Similar word(s): true, actual, genuine, real
2. without interpretation or embellishment
- a literal depiction of the scene before him
Similar word(s): exact
3. limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text
- a literal translation
Similar word(s): exact, denotative, explicit, unrhetorical
4. avoiding embellishment or exaggeration (used for emphasis)
- it's the literal truth
Similar word(s): plain
Sentences with literal as an adjective:
- The literal translation is “hands full of bananas” but it means empty-handed.
- A literal reading of the law would prohibit it, but that is clearly not the intent.
- a literal equation