non-literal
|non-lit-er-al|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈlɪtərəl/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈlɪt(ə)rəl/
not literal; figurative
Etymology
'non-literal' originates from the English negative prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') combined with 'literal'. 'Literal' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'litteralis', where 'littera' meant 'letter'.
'literal' came from Latin 'litteralis' and passed into Old French and Middle English as 'literal', eventually becoming modern English 'literal'; the prefix 'non-' was attached in Modern English to create the compound 'non-literal'.
Originally 'litteralis' related to 'letters' (written characters); 'literal' developed the sense 'according to the exact words' and over time 'non-literal' came to mean 'not to be taken at face value, figurative or symbolic.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not literal; not to be taken in the usual, primary, or exact sense of the words; figurative or symbolic.
His comment was non-literal and meant as a joke.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/12/27 04:31