literalism
2
7.4
- noun
- /ˈlɪtərəlɪzəm/
:
literalismo
- The totally inescapable and irreconcilable conflict exists only between evolution and biblical literalism.
- biblical literalism
Examples
-
Unlike science, which is self-correcting, biblical literalism can only drive its thick head deeper into the sand.
Blog text (19) -
But their biblical literalism can also motivate religious intolerance.
Academic text (2010) -
And there is an additional problem with this kind of literalism.
Academic text (2010) -
In religious communities, this makes the conversation more than mere "literalism" or the abdicated response of "God just made it that way."
Blog text (33) -
We are not, of course, appealing to a naive literalism in the biblical text; we know full well the meaning and use of metaphor.
Academic text (1994) -
Though literalism may be a defense to perjury, it doesn't really work in the civil context.
Blog text (16) -
I think that literalism, fundamentalism, is the refuge for people who are fearful.
-
The second points out internal contradictions that must be accommodated by biblical literalism.
Blog text (3) -
Professor David Scholer, an authority on the New Testament, described the declaration by the Convention as yet another instance of "selective literalism."
Academic text (1998) -
Many teachers caution against strict literalism in interpreting literary texts, as it can lead to misunderstandings of deeper meanings.
Synonyms
3
4.9
People understand words in their exact meaning without hidden or deeper ideas
2
7.0
A way of reading laws or rules that follows their exact written words without allowing change
1
6.9
A way of taking words or actions exactly as they are without using imagination
1
8.8
To read laws and other texts only by their exact words
To treat words as having only their exact, simple meaning
A way of understanding words exactly without looking for hidden meaning
Antonyms
How Literal
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Literalism comes from the Latin root littera meaning 'letter' and the idea of taking words 'by the letter'. So literalism means reading or explaining words in their most basic, direct sense and not looking for hidden or symbolic meaning.