[f. LITERAL + -ITY.]
1. The quality or fact of being literal; literalness; an instance of this. † Also, a literal meaning.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. iii. 9. Not attaining the deuteroscopy, and second intention of the words, they … are not sometime perswaded by fire beyond their literalities.
1650. Bp. Hall, Revelation unrev., § 8, Wks. 1808, X. 107. How wild a paradox it is to tie those frequent and large promises of the Prophets … to a carnal literality of sense.
1818. Lamb, Female Orators, Wks. 635. One her coarse sense by metaphors expounds And one in literalities abounds.
1844. For. Q. Rev., XXXIII. 460. It is easy … to sneer at literality;… literality is after all the first merit of translation.
1867. H. Macmillan, Bible Teach., xv. (1870), 293. Those to whom the sea has proved cruel, may … rejoice to accept the announcement in all its literality, that in heaven there shall be no more sea.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., I. 375. The same spirit of strictness and literality.
† 2. Learning, knowledge of letters. Obs.
1656. in Blount, Glossogr.
