literalist

literalist — noun

1. someone who believes a text should be understood in its most basic, word-for-wor

1.名詞C1
釋義

someone who believes a text should be understood in its most basic, word-for-word meaning, without looking for hidden or figurative interpretations

例句

Feng, a literalist at the publishing house, crossed out every metaphor in the manuscript before it went to print.

appositive: 'a literalist at [institution]' for identifying someone's interpretive stance

Judge Ravindra's literalist reading of the will meant the eldest son inherited everything, including the family dog.

common in legal contexts: literalist reading of [will/contract/statute]

同義詞
  • purist

    broader term; applies to any domain, not only text interpretation

  • textualist

    specifically used in legal contexts for judges who follow the exact wording of laws

  • fundamentalist

    mainly religious; carries a stronger connotation and implies a whole belief system

反義詞

用法筆記

Often used in discussions of religious, legal, or literary interpretation. The term can carry a slightly negative tone when the speaker believes some flexibility would be more appropriate.

常見錯誤

❌He is a literal person about the Bible.
✅He is a literalist about the Bible.
💡'literal' alone describes something word-for-word, not a person who follows that approach.
❌She is a liberalist when it comes to the rules.
✅She is a literalist when it comes to the rules.
💡'liberalist' refers to political views, not to strict text interpretation.