Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

literal

[lit-er-uhl] / ˈlɪt ər əl /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Props are few, more suggestive than literal, and the production keeps up a brisk pace as the tale of Benjamin’s twisting fortunes resolves itself after many a storm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

So it was a relief to be put out of our misery as last Friday's literal yawn-fest came to its slow-burning conclusion; the traitorous trio eventually succeeding in their mission to kill in plain sight.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

For literal dollars, I could put a couple of enormous pots on the stove, buy some good bread and oyster crackers, and feed a roomful of people until they were comfortably full.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

My aunt says I’m being too literal and that family isn’t supposed to keep score.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Or maybe Forks was making me crazy in the literal sense of the word.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

But maybe not in the literals sense, but it’s about the price that you pay for things, that it’s a cost.

From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2015

Instead, Apple patched up Objective-C and XCode over the years, introducing incremental features like Grand Central Dispatch, collection literals, and blocks, making the whole edifice increasingly labyrinthine and ad hoc.

From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2014

“Those fellows of yours make more literals every day.”

From The Story of Antony Grace by George Manville Fenn

Mike read, following the lines with his pen, correcting the literals, and he cursed when the "devil" told him that ten more lines of copy were wanting to complete page nine.

From Mike Fletcher A Novel by George (George Augustus) Moore


Vocabulary lists containing literal

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training