Meaning & Definition of Literal in English

1. A mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind

1. Being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something

• "Her actual motive"

• "A literal solitude like a desert"- g.k.chesterton

• "A genuine dilemma"

2. Without interpretation or embellishment

• "A literal depiction of the scene before him"

3. Limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text

• "A literal translation"

4. Avoiding embellishment or exaggeration (used for emphasis)

• "It's the literal truth"