adj. & n.
adj. 1 taking words in their usual or primary sense without metaphor or allegory (literal interpretation). 2 following the letter, text, or exact or original words (literal translation; a literal transcript). 3 (in full literal-minded) (of a person) prosaic; matter of fact. 4 a not exaggerated (the literal truth). b so called without exaggeration (a literal extermination). 5 colloq. disp. so called with some exaggeration or using metaphor (a literal avalanche of mail). 6 of, in, or expressed by a letter or the letters of the alphabet. 7 Algebra not numerical.
n. Printing a misprint of a letter. literality n. literalize v.tr. (also -ise). literally adv. literalness n.
[ ME f. OF literal or LL litteralis f. L littera (as LETTER) ]