Correct Grammar: Is it Literally or Figuratively?

There is so much bad grammar at work in the world that it can be difficult to remember the correct usage of a word. After hearing a word misused enough times, you may begin to question your own understanding of what that word means. This article will look at the words literally and figuratively. Our examination of literally is probably obvious. It is a word that has gained enormous popularity. At the same time, the word figuratively has remained obscure. It is interesting, since when most people say literally, they actually mean figuratively.

Literally or Figuratively? What do they Mean?

Literally means that an event occurred exactly according to the words that are used to describe it.

Figuratively has a symbolic, metaphorical, or descriptive meaning, a figure of speech.

Literally or Figuratively: An Example

Literally means that you are describing something exactly as it happened, verbatim, or with no exaggeration or imaginative language. Say that you are watching a sports event and the announcer says that a player is "Literally on fire," meaning that they are moving fast and taking the lead in something. Literally on fire means that the person is actually on fire - there are flames on them and they are about to be suffering from burns. The announcer meant that the player is figuratively on fire. The fire is a metaphor for the player's skill. In most cases, the understanding is clear without using either term. He's on fire in reference to a sports game is obviously, lacking flames, a figure if speech.

Literally or Figuratively: Common Violations

Literally on fire - the object referred to is covered in flames

Literally in the hot seat - the person's chair is of a higher than normal temperature

Literally starving - the person's body is showing medical signs of starvation

Literally in the heart of - inside the physical organ of the heart

The word literally should only be followed by strict fact. In these violations, the word literally should be replaced by the word figuratively. Since that is an awkward use of language, the word literally could just be removed. We don't need to be explicitly told that the speaker is using figurative language when we can clearly make that determination by looking at the scene before us.

If you are interested in reading more about the usage of literally and figuratively, there is a fun blog with real examples called Literally, a Web Log. It tracks the misuse of the word that literally takes place in the public eye. Did you catch that?