nonliteral
|non-lit-er-al|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈlɪtərəl/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈlɪtərəl/
not literal; figurative
Etymology
'nonliteral' is formed in English from the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') + 'literal' (from Latin 'litteralis', 'of or pertaining to letters').
'literal' derives from Latin 'littera' meaning 'letter'; it entered Middle English as 'literal'. In Modern English the negative prefix 'non-' was combined with 'literal' to produce 'nonliteral' to indicate the opposite of 'literal'.
Originally 'literal' related to 'letters' or writing; over time it came to mean 'taking words at their face value'. 'Nonliteral' thus developed to mean 'not taking words at face value', i.e., figurative or symbolic.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not literal; not taken in the most basic or exact sense — expressing meaning by metaphor, symbolism, or figurative language.
Her explanation was deliberately nonliteral, using images to suggest feeling rather than stating facts.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/27 23:24