Best to avoid completely, as it is overused and misused by almost everyone. It is one of the most annoying words in the English language when it is not used properly, which happens to be most of the time.

I have heard ppl use this word 'literally' often. I can understand the meaning generally, but I AM NOT sure how to use it in communication or academic writing. does it HAVE some certain degree of 'LITERAL' meaning? "Literally" is severely overused these days in casual conversation and on television. A valid use of this word would be when someone wants to differentiate between a "figurative" or "metaphorical" meaning and a "literal" (primay or strict) meaning. AN EXAMPLE: When we say, poetically, that our good friend is a "treasure" - we don't mean that literally, we mean it figuratively - it is a metaphor. Literally, our friend is a good person, who cares about us and who we value as much as we might value a great treasure. AVOID OVERUSING THIS WORD! http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Words+to+avoid%3A+the+most+overused+words+and+phrases+in+the+English...-a080699720