literaldescribing

Literaldescribing is a term used to describe the practice of describing a subject in literal, non-figurative terms. It emphasizes direct, observable attributes rather than metaphorical or interpretive elements. The concept is discussed in some linguistic and rhetoric contexts as a mode of description that prioritizes factual accuracy and verifiability.

Origin and usage: Literaldescribing is not a widely standardized term in mainstream linguistics; it functions as a neologism or descriptive label applied to writing or description that seeks to minimize inference. The word fuses literal with describing to signal the act of producing straightforward descriptions.

Characteristics: It tends to favor concrete attributes such as size, color, material, location, and numeric properties; avoids figurative language, hyperbole, or symbolic interpretation; often uses present tense and establishes clear referents. It may accompany a checklist of observable features to support reproducibility.

Examples: Literaldescribing: "The book is a 320-page hardcover published in 2012; the author is named Anna Lee; the setting is a library at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday." Non-literal alternative: "The book opens a window to a universe where time stands still."

Applications and limitations: Used in instruction to teach objective description, in annotation for natural language processing, and in documentation where precision matters. Critics note that literaldescribing can omit context, nuance, and interpretive insights that readers may need to understand significance. See also denotation, descriptive linguistics, and objective description.