Literal
adjective
Exactly what something says or written, without any hidden or different meanings.
When she said that she was literally boiling, she was using the term incorrect, because she was not actually boiling
Often appears as...
- literal translation
- literal meaning
adjective
Describing the exact words in their normal and most basic sense.
The literal meaning of the word is
Often appears as...
- literal translation
- literal meaning
Usage tips
Academic
adjective
Exactly following the words or text as it is.
In programming, a literal is a notation for representing a fixed value in the source code
Often appears as...
- literal value
- literal constant
Usage tips
Technical
noun
A small, exact, or single unit or portion in computer programming.
In the Java programming language, true, false, and null might be considered literals
Often appears as...
- string literal
- numeric literal
Usage tips
Technical
adjective
Exactly what something says or written, without any hidden or different meanings.
When she said that she was literally boiling, she was using the term incorrect, because she was not actually boiling
Often appears as...
- literal translation
- literal meaning
adjective
Describing the exact words in their normal and most basic sense.
The literal meaning of the word is
Often appears as...
- literal translation
- literal meaning
Usage tips
Academic
adjective
Exactly following the words or text as it is.
In programming, a literal is a notation for representing a fixed value in the source code
Often appears as...
- literal value
- literal constant
Usage tips
Technical
noun
A small, exact, or single unit or portion in computer programming.
In the Java programming language, true, false, and null might be considered literals
Often appears as...
- string literal
- numeric literal
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/2Avoid Exaggeration
Use 'literal' to describe something that is true without exaggeration or metaphor.
The vase was literally shattered into tiny pieces.
Pro Tip 2/2Misuse Alert
Avoid using 'literal' as an intensifier for something that cannot possibly be true.
I'm so hungry I could literally eat a horse.
Pro Tip 1/2Avoid Exaggeration
Use 'literal' to describe something that is true without exaggeration or metaphor.
The vase was literally shattered into tiny pieces.
Pro Tip 2/2Misuse Alert
Avoid using 'literal' as an intensifier for something that cannot possibly be true.
I'm so hungry I could literally eat a horse.
Pro Tip 1/2Avoid Exaggeration
Use 'literal' to describe something that is true without exaggeration or metaphor.
The vase was literally shattered into tiny pieces.
Pro Tip 2/2Misuse Alert
Avoid using 'literal' as an intensifier for something that cannot possibly be true.
I'm so hungry I could literally eat a horse.
Never forget "Literal"
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Video examples
Do schools kill...
They're just a form of life. Another form of life. But they're rather curious. And I say this out of affection for there's something curious about professors. In my experience -- not all of them, but typically -- they live in their heads. They live up there and slightly to one side. They're disembodied, you know, in a kind of literal way.
Video examples
The freakonomics of...
So in some very literal way, the young black men who were growing up in this country were living in a war zone, very much in the sense that the soldiers over in Iraq are fighting in a war. So why in the world, you might ask, would anybody be willing to stand out on a street corner
Video examples
What’s in Air Freshener?...
plant it's made in a literal plant yep limonene is the main component of orange essential oil and it's present in a bunch of other citrus fruits too so that all natural air freshener recipe you found on Instructables or god help us all pinterest the one that tells you to
Video examples
The voices in my head PIPE...
Now, at first, this was very difficult to believe, not least because the voices appeared so hostile and menacing, so in this respect, a vital first step was learning to separate out a metaphorical meaning from what I'd previously interpreted to be a literal truth.
Video examples
Seven Superpowered...
fact nothing they do is very fast every aspect of their life history seems to be in super slow whoa they only swim about two miles per hour and they only grow up to one centimeter every year which is half the growth rate of mount everest yeah a literal mountain
Video examples
SpaceX's Supersized...
like searching for exoplanets, planets around other stars and understanding the formation of stars and planetary systems and looking back to the cosmic dawn -- the literal beginning of time -- and fundamentally understanding our own place in the universe.
Video examples
Will we ever be able to...
If two electrons have the same quantum state, they're identical. In a literal sense, our baseball is defined by a collective quantum state resulting from its many atoms. If this quantum state information could be read in Boston and sent around the world,
Video examples
Three ideas. Three...
all of it, not to share laughs but to share the literal, visceral pain of my trauma. And I thought the best way to do that would be through a comedy show. And that is what I did. I wrote a comedy show that did not respect the punchline,
Video examples
The enchanting music of...
There's a massive culture around spoken language. And just because I don't use my literal voice to communicate, in society's eyes it's as if I don't have a voice at all. So I need to work with individuals who can support me as an equal
Video examples
Love and hormones PIPE...
you calm er they follow the rules they respect authority they like plans and rules and schedules they like to be literal concrete they're very good at numbers religiosity is in the serotonin system actually at least part of it is
Video examples
Do schools kill...
They're just a form of life. Another form of life. But they're rather curious. And I say this out of affection for there's something curious about professors. In my experience -- not all of them, but typically -- they live in their heads. They live up there and slightly to one side. They're disembodied, you know, in a kind of literal way.
Video examples
The freakonomics of...
So in some very literal way, the young black men who were growing up in this country were living in a war zone, very much in the sense that the soldiers over in Iraq are fighting in a war. So why in the world, you might ask, would anybody be willing to stand out on a street corner
Video examples
What’s in Air Freshener?...
plant it's made in a literal plant yep limonene is the main component of orange essential oil and it's present in a bunch of other citrus fruits too so that all natural air freshener recipe you found on Instructables or god help us all pinterest the one that tells you to
Video examples
The voices in my head PIPE...
Now, at first, this was very difficult to believe, not least because the voices appeared so hostile and menacing, so in this respect, a vital first step was learning to separate out a metaphorical meaning from what I'd previously interpreted to be a literal truth.
Video examples
Seven Superpowered...
fact nothing they do is very fast every aspect of their life history seems to be in super slow whoa they only swim about two miles per hour and they only grow up to one centimeter every year which is half the growth rate of mount everest yeah a literal mountain
Video examples
SpaceX's Supersized...
like searching for exoplanets, planets around other stars and understanding the formation of stars and planetary systems and looking back to the cosmic dawn -- the literal beginning of time -- and fundamentally understanding our own place in the universe.
Video examples
Will we ever be able to...
If two electrons have the same quantum state, they're identical. In a literal sense, our baseball is defined by a collective quantum state resulting from its many atoms. If this quantum state information could be read in Boston and sent around the world,
Video examples
Three ideas. Three...
all of it, not to share laughs but to share the literal, visceral pain of my trauma. And I thought the best way to do that would be through a comedy show. And that is what I did. I wrote a comedy show that did not respect the punchline,
Video examples
The enchanting music of...
There's a massive culture around spoken language. And just because I don't use my literal voice to communicate, in society's eyes it's as if I don't have a voice at all. So I need to work with individuals who can support me as an equal
Video examples
Love and hormones PIPE...
you calm er they follow the rules they respect authority they like plans and rules and schedules they like to be literal concrete they're very good at numbers religiosity is in the serotonin system actually at least part of it is
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Yuval Noah Harari
Israeli Historian
I titled the book 'Homo Deus' because we really are becoming gods in the most literal sense possible. We are acquiring abilities that have always been thought to be divine abilities - in particular, the ability to create life. And we can do with that whatever we want.
Quote examples
Virginia Postrel
American Writer
Glamour is a beautiful illusion - the word 'glamour' originally meant a literal magic spell - that promises to transcend ordinary life and make the ideal real. It depends on a special combination of mystery and grace. Too much information breaks the spell.
Quote examples
Matthew Barney
American Artist
I have a need to make these sorts of connections literal sometimes, and a vehicle often helps to do that. I have a relationship to car culture. It isn't really about loving cars. It's sort of about needing them.
Quote examples
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Polish Director
If I have a goal, then it is to escape from this literalism. I'll never achieve it; in the same way that I'll never manage to describe what really dwells within my character, although I keep on trying.
Quote examples
Voltaire
French Writer
Woe to the makers of literal translations, who by rendering every word weaken the meaning! It is indeed by so doing that we can say the letter kills and the spirit gives life.
Quote examples
Zawe Ashton
English Actress
If people call my book an actor's memoir I will be very upset. I can't bear anything too literal, so it has elements of truth and elements of fiction sitting side by side.
Quote examples
Jewell Parker Rhodes
American Novelist
I love historical fiction because there's a literal truth, and there's an emotional truth, and what the fiction writer tries to create is that emotional truth.
Quote examples
Shiva Ayyadurai
American Scientist
The problem with copyright is it only protects that literal work. It doesn't protect the design and the ideas. That's unfortunate.
Quote examples
Paul Gilbert
American Musician
In my daily life, I tend to be very literal and unsuperstitious. But music gives me an outlet to be very emotional.
Quote examples
Raf Simons
Belgian Designer
If I see a fashion show with literal influences, it doesn't make me think any more. It doesn't make me dream.
Quote examples
Yuval Noah Harari
Israeli Historian
I titled the book 'Homo Deus' because we really are becoming gods in the most literal sense possible. We are acquiring abilities that have always been thought to be divine abilities - in particular, the ability to create life. And we can do with that whatever we want.
Quote examples
Virginia Postrel
American Writer
Glamour is a beautiful illusion - the word 'glamour' originally meant a literal magic spell - that promises to transcend ordinary life and make the ideal real. It depends on a special combination of mystery and grace. Too much information breaks the spell.
Quote examples
Matthew Barney
American Artist
I have a need to make these sorts of connections literal sometimes, and a vehicle often helps to do that. I have a relationship to car culture. It isn't really about loving cars. It's sort of about needing them.
Quote examples
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Polish Director
If I have a goal, then it is to escape from this literalism. I'll never achieve it; in the same way that I'll never manage to describe what really dwells within my character, although I keep on trying.
Quote examples
Voltaire
French Writer
Woe to the makers of literal translations, who by rendering every word weaken the meaning! It is indeed by so doing that we can say the letter kills and the spirit gives life.
Quote examples
Zawe Ashton
English Actress
If people call my book an actor's memoir I will be very upset. I can't bear anything too literal, so it has elements of truth and elements of fiction sitting side by side.
Quote examples
Jewell Parker Rhodes
American Novelist
I love historical fiction because there's a literal truth, and there's an emotional truth, and what the fiction writer tries to create is that emotional truth.
Quote examples
Shiva Ayyadurai
American Scientist
The problem with copyright is it only protects that literal work. It doesn't protect the design and the ideas. That's unfortunate.
Quote examples
Paul Gilbert
American Musician
In my daily life, I tend to be very literal and unsuperstitious. But music gives me an outlet to be very emotional.
Quote examples
Raf Simons
Belgian Designer
If I see a fashion show with literal influences, it doesn't make me think any more. It doesn't make me dream.
Example 1 of 10
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