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cording to the letter or verbal expression; real; not figurative or metaphorical; as, the literal meaning of a phrase. It hath but one simple literal sense whose light the owls can not abide. Tyndale .

That which accords with the letter; a mode of interpreting literally; adherence to the letter.

One who adheres to the letter or exact word; an interpreter according to the letter.

The state or quality of being literal. Sir T. Browne.

The act of literalizing; reduction to a literal meaning.

To make literal; to interpret or put in practice according to the strict meaning of the words; -- opposed to spiritualize; as, to literalize Scripture.

A literalist.

primary and natural import of words; not figuratively; as, a man and his wife can not be literally one flesh.

The quality or state of being literal; literal import.

Pertaining to, or characterized by alliteration.

Consisting of two letters; as, a biliteral root of a Sanskrit verb. Sir W. Jones. -- n.

The property or state of being biliteral.

Consisting of two letters only; biliteral. Stuart.

Not literal. [R.] B. Dawson.

A pluriliteral word.

Consisting of four letters.

Consisting of five letters.

Consisting of three letters; trigrammic; as, a triliteral root or word. -- n.

Same as Triliterality.

The quality of being triliteral; as, the triliterality of Hebrew roots. W. D. Whitney.