literal
gb/lˈɪtɚəl/ us/lˈɪtɚəl/
B2
English
~ 8800
szó szerinti, mindent szó szerint vesz, szó szerint értelmező, literál
B2
1
szó szerinti
B1
Usage pattern:
the literal meaning of [something]
In this poem, the literal meaning is simple, but the deeper message is complex.
Ebben a versben a szó szerinti jelentés egyszerű, de a mélyebb üzenet összetett.
The phrase "break the ice" has a figurative meaning that is very different from its literal meaning.
A „break the ice” kifejezés átvitt jelentése egészen más, mint a szó szerinti jelentése.
Some jokes are hard to understand if you only know the literal sense of the words.
The teacher asked the class to explain both the literal and figurative meanings of the sentence.
A literal translation of the idiom sounds strange in English.
Learner examples
The literal meaning of "heart" is the part of your body that pumps blood.
A „heart” szó szó szerinti jelentése az a testrész, amely a vért pumpálja.
She first learned the literal meaning of the word, then the idiom.
Először a szó szó szerinti jelentését tanulta meg, aztán az idiómát.
If you only know the literal meaning, you may not understand the joke.
He gave a literal answer to the question and did not try to be funny.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "literal" with "literally." "Literal" is usually an adjective ("the literal meaning"), while "literally" is an adverb ("She meant it literally"). Some also mix up "literal" and "literary": "literary" relates to literature and books, not to basic meaning.
Meaning
following the exact, non-figurative words
Collocations
literal meaning
|literal sense
|literal translation
|taken literally
|purely literal
|strictly literal
Synonyms
word-for-word (Stresses following every word exactly, especially in translations.)
|
nonfigurative (More technical; focuses on the absence of figurative meaning.)
Antonyms
figurative (Describes language that uses images or metaphors, not the basic direct meaning.)
|
metaphorical (Emphasizes that the meaning is based on a metaphor, not the exact words.)
Themes
language
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Describing the basic, direct meaning of words, not a special or figurative meaning.
Describing a meaning, interpretation, or translation that follows the exact words and is not figurative or metaphorical.
C1
2
Usage pattern:
a very literal [person/child/reader]
He's so literal that he didn't realize she was being sarcastic.
Annyira szó szerint vesz mindent, hogy nem vette észre, hogy a nő csak gúnyolódott.
The book may confuse very literal readers because much of it is symbolic.
A könyv összezavarhatja a nagyon szó szerint értelmező olvasókat, mert nagy része szimbolikus.
As a child, she was extremely literal and often misunderstood idioms.
You have to be careful with jokes around him; he's quite literal.
Her literal way of thinking makes her great at technical tasks but less comfortable with poetry.
Learner examples
My son is very literal and does not understand some jokes.
A fiam nagyon szó szerint vesz mindent, és néhány viccet nem ért meg.
She is too literal and thinks the story is about real people.
Túl szó szerint veszi a dolgokat, és azt hiszi, hogy a történet valódi emberekről szól.
He is a literal person, so you must say exactly what you mean.
Literal students may have problems with poems in class.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think calling someone "literal" is always positive, like calling them "honest". In fact, it can sound mildly critical, suggesting the person has difficulty with humor, irony, or imagination.
Meaning
of a person: very exact, non-figurative
Collocations
a very literal person
|a literal child
|too literal
|overly literal
|a literal mind
Synonyms
literal-minded (Very close in meaning; slightly more common when describing people directly.)
|
concrete (Focuses on thinking about real things, not ideas, and may not always mean trouble with figurative language.)
Antonyms
imaginative (Describes someone who easily sees creative or non-literal meanings.)
|
interpretive (Suggests a person reads between the lines rather than sticking only to surface meanings.)
Themes
thinking
|personality
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Describing a person who understands words only in a simple, direct way and has trouble with jokes, idioms, or metaphors.
Describing a person, habit of thinking, or style that understands or uses language only in its basic, non-figurative sense, often lacking flexibility or imagination.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
3
literál
C1
Usage pattern:
a [string/numeric] literal in [code]
In this example, 42 is a numeric literal used to initialize the variable.
Ebben a példában a 42 egy numerikus literál, amellyel inicializáljuk a változót.
You should avoid using magic numbers; instead, replace those literals with named constants.
Kerülni kell a mágikus számok használatát; inkább cseréld le ezeket a literálokat nevesített konstansokra.
The compiler reports an error if the string literal is not properly closed with quotation marks.
A boolean literal in many languages is written as either "true" or "false."
The configuration values are currently hard-coded as literals in the source file.
Learner examples
In this code, 10 is a literal and x is a variable.
Ebben a kódban a 10 literál, az x pedig változó.
A string literal is usually inside quotation marks, like "Hello".
Egy sztringliterál általában idézőjelek között áll, például: „Hello”.
Many languages use true and false as boolean literals.
The teacher showed us how to use a number literal in a simple program.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "literal" in programming with its everyday meaning. In code, a "literal" is a specific written value (like 5 or "cat"), not the idea of non-figurative language. They may also call any constant a literal, even when it is a named constant rather than a raw value.
Meaning
fixed value written directly in code
Collocations
string literal
|numeric literal
|integer literal
|boolean literal
|define a literal
|use a literal
Synonyms
constant (A broader programming term; a constant might be defined with a name, while a literal is the raw written value itself.)
|
hard-coded value (Informal programming phrase; emphasizes that the value is directly written into the code, often as a literal.)
Antonyms
variable (In programming, a named storage location whose value can change, unlike a fixed literal value.)
|
expression (A combination of values, variables, and operators, rather than a single raw value like a literal.)
Themes
computing
|technology
|programming
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In computer code, a number, word, or other value that is written directly and always stays the same, like 10 or "hello".
In computing, a value such as a number, character, or string written directly in source code that represents itself, rather than a variable or expression.
Grammar
Dictionary form
literal
IPA
GB/lˈɪtɚəl/
US/lˈɪtɚəl/
Syllables & stress
lit - er - al (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (lit)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: literal
Noun
- Base: literal
- Plural: literals
Word family
Forms
literals
noun
Core family
literally
adverb B2
Related words
literalness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
figurative
adjective B2
figuratively
adverb B2
Advanced or less common
literalism
noun
literalist
noun
Expressions
a literal translation
1/ə lˈɪtɚəl tɹænzlˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
word-for-word style translation
A translation that follows the original words very closely, often word for word, even if the result sounds strange in the new language.
Examples
- A literal translation of this joke does not make sense in English.
- The guidebook gives a literal translation of the place names next to the usual versions.
- Sometimes a literal translation is helpful for students, but it is not good for publishing.
in a literal sense
1/ˈɪn ə lˈɪtɚəl sˈɛns/
fixed phrase
in the basic, non-figurative way
Used to say that words should be understood in their basic, direct way, not as a joke or metaphor.
Examples
- The story is not true in a literal sense, but it teaches an important lesson.
- In a literal sense, no one can live online, but we spend much of our time there.
- The city is not sinking in a literal sense; the phrase is used to describe economic decline.
the literal meaning
1/ðə lˈɪtɚəl mˈinɪŋ/
fixed phrase
basic non-figurative meaning of words
The most direct, simple meaning of a word or phrase, not a special, figurative, or hidden meaning.
Examples
- The literal meaning of "head" is a part of the body, but it can also mean a leader.
- Students should learn the literal meaning of an idiom before trying to understand its figurative sense.
- The literal meaning of the sign is clear, but people often ignore it.