literal

adjective

ˈli-t(ə-)rəl How to pronounce literal (audio)
Definition of literalnext
as in historical
restricted to or based on fact a literal account of the explorer's adventures is actually a lot less interesting than his own exaggerated stories

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of literal Weather wasn’t the only challenge, as a literal war broke out during production. — William Earl, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026 And in some sense, that’s a literal picture of a four-dimensional space. — Quanta Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026 There may be longer races, and there may be more prestigious races, but none require the intestinal fortitude — in the most literal sense — needed to complete the International Taco Bell 50k. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Ideally, suicide prevention starts long before someone reaches a literal precipice. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for literal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literal
  1. historical
  2. factual
  3. true
  4. documentary
  5. nonfictional
Adjective
  • Annals are historical records arranged by year; the clue leverages the entry’s singular form to misdirect us.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Although robust buyer demand briefly drove yields down to session lows following the auction, yield levels above 5% remain substantially higher than the historical norm over the past decade.
    — , CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of historical
Adjective
  • In 1988, Rantzen won BAFTA’s Richard Dimbleby Award for factual programming.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • There is no factual evidence that this psychological and economic slaughter of Amadeus by Salieri is substantiated by truth.
    — Doni Wilson, Houston Chronicle, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of factual
Adjective
  • The court has already said that second half is Congress’ job, and the usual objection — that nobody could tell the difference — is about to stop being true.
    — John Mildenberger, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But back then, Carla was worth significantly more than Morgan; now, the inverse is true.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of true
Adjective
  • The documentary jury was comprised of Sine Plambech, director and anthropologist, Alfredo de Juan, cinematographer, Anne Köhncke, producer, Jela Hasler, director, and Nikolas Geyrhalter, director, cinematographer and producer.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Over five days, the festival seeks to offer audiences the opportunity to discover extraordinary films, meet filmmakers, and engage with the people shaping the documentary landscape today.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of documentary
Adjective
  • In a world where true-crime shows of both the fictional and nonfictional variety run rampant on our screens, that’s probably not a bad corporate strategy.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This is what gives the film its experiential sincerity — the lived perspective of its Ukrainian crew leaving a nonfictional trace across every level of the fiction, something Stever handles with unusual reverence.
    — Sonya Vseliubska, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of nonfictional

Browse Nearby Words

literacy
literal
literalism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Literal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literal. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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