in accordance with, involving, or being the primary or strict meaning of the word or words; not figurative or metaphorical

the literal meaning of a word.

following the words of the original very closely and exactly

a literal translation of Goethe.

true to fact; not exaggerated; actual or factual

a literal description of conditions.

being actually such, without exaggeration or inaccuracy

the literal extermination of a city.

(of persons) tending to construe words in the strict sense or in an unimaginative way; matter-of-fact; prosaic.

of or pertaining to the letters of the alphabet.

of the nature of letters.

expressed by letters.

affecting a letter or letters

a literal error.

a typographical error, esp. involving a single letter.

adjective

exaggerated , figurative , imaginative , loose

adjective

accurate , actual , apparent , authentic , bona fide , close , critical , faithful , genuine , gospel , methodical , natural , not figurative , ordinary , plain , scrupulous , simple , strict , to the letter , true , undeviating , unerring , unexaggerated , unvarnished , usual , veracious , verbal , verbatim , veritable , written , word-for-word , categorical , exact , explicitly , factual , literally , obvious , pedantic , precise , prosaic , real , textual , unimaginative , virtually