Definition:Literal

Definition
A literal is either:


 * an atom $p$ of propositional logic, that is, a statement, or


 * the negation $\neg p$ of an atom $p$.

In the language of propositional logic, these correspond to:


 * a letter $p$;


 * the WFF $\neg p$, where $p$ is a letter.

Also known as
It is also known as a basic statement or basic sentence.

When discussing the (formal) language of propositional logic, this can be referred to as a basic WFF.