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.

Like many autistic people, Haight’s mind interprets language in its most literal sense.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

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

The only way to make things right is to return to the literal scene of the crime, where Kenna hopes to confront the ghosts of her past to build a future alongside her daughter.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

Epstein is hardly the first rich American to pursue the literal eugenic, or “beautiful gene.”

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026

Now lined with a row of small shops, the tradition continues, though in a figurative rather than literal sense.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris