different between literal vs nonliteral

English

Alternative forms

• litteral (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French literal, from Late Latin litteralis, also literalis (“of or pertaining to letters or to writing”), from Latin littera, litera (“a letter”); see letter.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?t(?)??l/
• Homophone: littoral

Adjective

literal (comparative more literal, superlative most literal)

1. Exactly as stated; read or understood without additional interpretation; according to the letter or verbal expression; real; not figurative or metaphorical.
   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie

     a middle course between the rigour of literal translations and the liberty of paraphrasts
2. Following the letter or exact words; not free; not taking liberties.

3. (uncommon) Consisting of, or expressed by, letters.

4. (of a person) Giving a strict or literal construction; unimaginative; matter-of-fact.
5. (proscribed) Used non-literally as an intensifier; see literally for usage notes.

Antonyms

• (exactly as stated): figurative, metaphorical

Derived terms

Related terms

• letter
• literacy
• literary
• literate
• literature

Translations

Noun

literal (plural literals)

1. (epigraphy, typography) A misprint (or occasionally a scribal error) that affects a letter.

   Synonym: typo

2. (programming) A value, as opposed to an identifier, written into the source code of a computer program.

   Synonym: literal constant

3. (logic) A propositional variable or the negation of a propositional variable. ^Wp

Translations

See also

• constant
• prime formula

References

Further reading

• literal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• literal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• tallier

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litter?lis.

Adjective

literal (masculine and feminine plural literals)

1. literal

Derived terms

• literalment

Related terms

• lletra

Further reading

• “literal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Galician

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litter?lis.

Adjective

literal m or f (plural literais)

1. literal

Derived terms

• literalmente

Related terms

• letra

Further reading

• “literal” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?t???a?l/
• Rhymes: -a?l

Adjective

literal (comparative literaler, superlative am literalsten)

1. (of cultures, etc., not of individuals) literate

Declension

See also

• schreibkundig

Indonesian

Etymology

From English literal, from Old French literal, from Late Latin litteralis, also literalis (“of or pertaining to letters or to writing”), from Latin littera, litera (“a letter”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lit??ral]
• Hyphenation: li?tê?ral

Adjective

literal

1. literal.

   Synonym: harfiah

Further reading

• “literal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litter?lis.

Adjective

literal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular literale)

1. literal (exactly as stated)
2. literal (relating to or composed of letters)

Descendants

• English: literal
• French: littéral

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litter?lis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

literal m or f (plural literais, comparable)

1. literal (understood exactly as written, without additional interpretation)

Derived terms

• literalmente

Noun

literal m (plural literais)

1. (programming) literal (value written in the source code)

Related terms

• letra
• letrado
• literatura

Further reading

• “literal” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

Romanian

Etymology

From French littéral, from Latin litteralis.

Adjective

literal m or n (feminine singular literal?, masculine plural literali, feminine and neuter plural literale)

1. literal

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin litter?lis.

Adjective

literal (plural literales)

1. literal

Derived terms

• literalmente

Related terms

• letra

Further reading

• “literal” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

non- +? literal

Adjective

nonliteral (not comparable)

1. Not literal.

Synonyms

• figurative

Noun

nonliteral (plural nonliterals)

1. (programming, logic) That which is not a literal.

Anagrams

• tonnarelli