1. a person who interprets words, statements, or texts in their exact literal meaning without considering figurative or symbolic interpretations

Examples

• As a biblical literalist, she believes every word in scripture should be taken at face value.
• The literalist argued that the constitution must be interpreted exactly as written.
• His literalist approach to poetry missed the deeper metaphorical meanings.
• The teacher explained that being too much of a literalist can limit understanding of literature.
• Legal literalists focus on the precise wording of statutes rather than their intended spirit.
• She’s such a literalist that she doesn’t understand when people are being sarcastic.