literal
/ˈlɪtərəl/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of LITERAL
1
:
involving the ordinary or usual meaning of a word
-
I was using the word in its literal sense.
-
The literal meaning of “know your ropes” is “to know a lot about ropes,” while figuratively it means “to know a lot about how to do something.”
2
:
giving the meaning of each individual word
:
exact
3
:
completely true and accurate
:
not exaggerated
4
[more literal; most literal]
—
used to describe someone who understands words and statements only in the most basic and ordinary way and does not have much imagination
— literalness
/ˈlɪtərəlnəs/
noun
[noncount]