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literal

adjective
 
 
/ˈlɪt.ər.əl/ US  /ˈlɪt̬.ɚ-/

Definition

C2 The literal meaning of a word is its original, basic meaning: The literal meaning of 'television' is 'seeing from a distance'. You need to demonstrate to the examiners that you have more than a literal understanding of the text. Her translation is too literal (= done one word at a time), resulting in heavy, unnatural prose. → Compare figurativeAccurate and exact
(Definition of literal adjective from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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