1. the quality of being literal; adherence to the exact meaning of words without metaphor or hidden meaning
2. lack of imagination or creativity in interpretation; taking things at face value
Usage: often implies criticism

Examples

• The literality of his interpretation missed the poem’s deeper meaning.
• Her literality made it difficult for her to understand jokes and sarcasm.
• The contract was written with such literality that no room was left for interpretation.
• Critics praised the translation’s literality while noting it lost some poetic beauty.
• His literality in following instructions sometimes prevented creative problem-solving.
• The literality of the biblical translation sparked debate among scholars.