Meaning & use
nonliteral
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparableformal
Not meaning exactly what the words say; used about language that is figurative or symbolic.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a nonliteral reading.
Patterns
- a nonliteral meaning
- a nonliteral reading of something
- use something in a nonliteral sense
When she called him a snake, she meant it in a nonliteral way.
Poets often choose nonliteral language to suggest feelings they cannot state directly.
The teacher asked students to separate literal from nonliteral uses of the phrase.
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Not connected with written literature or with the exact words of a text.
Grammar: A technical use, mostly before a noun.
Patterns
- nonliteral information
- a nonliteral source
The database stores nonliteral information such as dates and numbers.
Her research looks at nonliteral features of the manuscript, including the paper and ink.
Common combinations
- nonliteral meaning
- The nonliteral meaning of the idiom is easy to guess from the story.
- nonliteral language
- Young children take time to understand nonliteral language such as jokes.
- in a nonliteral sense
- He used the word 'war' in a nonliteral sense.
- a nonliteral reading
- A nonliteral reading of the poem opens up several interpretations.
Synonyms and how they differ
- figurative
- The everyday choice for language that uses images; nonliteral is more formal and also covers symbolic uses.
- metaphorical
- Narrower: it applies specifically to metaphor, while nonliteral covers irony, symbolism and more.
- symbolic
- Focuses on standing for something else rather than on departing from the literal words.
Opposites
Word family
- nonliterally adverb
- In a way that is not literal.
- literal adjective
- Meaning exactly what the words say.
- literalism noun
- The practice of understanding words only in their basic, exact sense.
Commonly confused: nonliteral or illiterate?
nonliteral vs illiterate
Illiterate means unable to read and write; nonliteral has nothing to do with reading ability.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'nonliteral' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Nonliteral' is an adjective describing figurative or symbolic language, so it fits 'a nonliteral way'. Option 2 confuses it with 'illiterate', option 3 uses it as a noun, and option 4 uses it as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nonliteral”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.