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.

Meanwhile, in Germany, Martin Luther had questioned the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, the literal transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

“I wanted to paint a hazy portrait of the Midwest but not in such a literal way,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

It’s weird to be alive at a time when much of contemporary warfare comprises literal laser beams, flying robots and dungeons full of nerds at computer terminals, but that’s really what’s happening.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

There will also be a rather literal interpretation of comedy series Amandaland that enlists a string of famous Amandas, and a performance from singer-songwriter Calum Scott.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

There, at the climax of every show, he sits down in a comfortable chair to think — a chair known, of course, in the literal world of Blue’s Clues, as the Thinking Chair.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell