lit ‧ e ‧ ral ‧ ly S2 /ˈlɪt ə rəli/ BrE AmE adverb
1 . according to the most basic or original meaning of a word or expression:
The name of the cheese is Dolcelatte, literally meaning ‘sweet milk’.
I said I felt like quitting, but I didn’t mean it literally (=I did not mean exactly what I said) !
2 . take somebody/something literally to believe exactly what someone or something says rather than trying to understand their general meaning:
She takes the Bible literally.
3 . used to emphasize that something, especially a large number, is actually true:
The Olympic Games were watched by literally billions of people.
4 . spoken used to emphasize a strong expression or word that is not being used in its real or original meaning. Some people consider this use to be incorrect:
Dad was literally blazing with anger.