literal

Everyday

1. Taking words in their most basic, exact meaning, not as a joke or figure of speech. tree →
2. Translated word for word. tree →
3. (informal) Used for real, not exaggerated. tree →

In the lessons

In English lessons: the literal meaning of "it's raining cats and dogs" would be animals falling from the sky; its real (figurative) meaning is heavy rain. In maths, read problems literally and exactly. Phrases: literal meaning, take something literally, literal translation.

Examples

• The literal meaning of "break a leg" is to snap your leg, but it means good luck. tree →
• Don't be so literal — it was a joke! tree →
• A literal translation can sound strange in English. tree →
• She took my words literally and really jumped in the lake. tree →
• In a literal sense, "breakfast" means breaking a fast. tree →
• The literal truth is that we lost five to nil. tree →
• The stories are not literal, or word by word translations, but have been altered in many ways to make them suitable for children. tree →

Note

Adjective; adverb: literally. Opposite: figurative (idioms, metaphors). Trap: people often say "literally" for emphasis when it is not literal ("I literally died laughing") — this is informal. Do not confuse with "literary" (to do with books and literature) or "littoral" (by the shore).

In Jewish tradition

Interpretation: Commentators often distinguish the literal meaning of a word from deeper meanings. In Sefer Yetzirah, each letter also has a number, so the letters carry both a literal and a numerical sense. In the primary lessons: In English lessons: the literal meaning of "it's raining cats and dogs" would be animals falling from the sky; its real (figurative) meaning is heavy rain. In maths, read problems literally and exactly. Phrases: literal meaning, take something literally, literal translation.

Examples

• tion of numbers and letters ; every letter suggesting a 'number, and every group of letters having a numerical signification, as vital as its literal meaning. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• But on the most literal level, it means ‘wind’, as in the אַרְבָּע רוּחוֹת arbaʽ ruchot ‘four winds’ corresponding to the four cardinal directions, and is also conjured in the verb הֵרִיחַ heriach ‘to smell, breathe in (with the nostrils)’. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) tree →
• Out of four letters 24 quadri- literal words are formed as: nJ3K, J13K, i3:iK, 2T,), i2iH, 3jnx, (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Adjective; adverb: literally. Opposite: figurative (idioms, metaphors). Trap: people often say "literally" for emphasis when it is not literal ("I literally died laughing") — this is informal. Do not confuse with "literary" (to do with books and literature) or "littoral" (by the shore).