Definition

The quality of being exact and not figurative or metaphorical; the state of taking words in their most basic sense without exaggeration or metaphor.

Example

His literalness made it difficult for him to understand jokes or sarcasm.

Conversation

I was thinking about how our conversations sometimes lack literalness.

Yeah, we often use metaphors instead of being straightforward.

Exactly! I wonder if that's a good or bad thing in our discussions.

It probably depends on the context, but I appreciate the literalness sometimes.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Literalness → It is formed from "literal" (from Latin *literalis*, meaning pertaining to letters or the letter of the law) and "-ness" (meaning the state or quality of). The word "literalness" refers to the quality of being true to the letter or exact in meaning.

Memory Tip

Think of 'literal' meaning true to the letters and 'ness' indicating a state — so literalness is the state of being true to the exact meaning.

Visually Confused Words