literal
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.
It was, in the most literal sense, an editorial board convened to decide what deserved to be believed.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
These schools weren’t quite a direct pipeline into the American armed services, but their implicit promise was to cultivate gentlemen, if not always literal officers.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
The line-up also featured Australian house and techno producer Fisher, who brought literal pyro fire to the main stage.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Her sentiment takes on a much more literal meaning when Corvette finds out that Christie ripped off one of her designs for Metro Designers’ latest collection.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
They have a tendency to take expressions literally, and this literal interpretation is often incongruous with the standard one and therefore comical.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Vocabulary lists containing literal
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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AP English Lit exam terms
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Vocabulary to Describe Literary Devices
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