What is the meaning of literal?

noun

• A mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind.
  • synonyms: misprint, erratum, typographical error, typo, literal error

adjective

• Being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something.
  • usage: "her actual motive"; "a literal solitude like a desert- G. K. Chesterton; "a genuine dilemma"
  • synonyms: actual, genuine, real
• Without interpretation or embellishment.
  • usage: "a literal depiction of the scene before him"
• Limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text.
  • usage: "a literal translation"
• Avoiding embellishment or exaggeration (used for emphasis. )
  • usage: "it's the literal truth"