literary

adjective

lit·​er·​ary ˈli-tə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce literary (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of humane learning or literature
a literary education
a literary institution
b
: bookish sense 2
an essay written in a very literary style
c
: of or relating to books
a literary agent
a literary manuscript
2
a
: well-read
he is literary, given to quoting to himself rather long stretches of remembered linesF. J. Hoffman
b
: of or relating to authors or scholars or to their professions
her literary biographies
literarily adverb
literariness noun

Examples of literary in a Sentence

Do his books have any literary merit? Mystery fiction is only one of many literary forms. an essay written in a very literary style The author uses many literary devices in his work. He entered the literary world right out of college. She hired a literary agent.
Recent Examples on the Web Tone poems, Masur explained, are essentially musical poetry without words, inspired by stories that might be literary, theatrical, legendary or mythological. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024 The stark intensity of his images and the expressive clarity of the lead performance, by Maria Falconetti, give birth to an instantly avant-garde cinema that’s also a synthesis of the classical arts—a literary tragedy realized with the torque of theatrical artifice and a painter’s precision. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024 More than a dozen authors have dropped out of a PEN America festival, citing the literary nonprofit’s inaction over the war in Gaza. Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 More big stories After a writer expressed sympathy for Israelis in an essay, all hell broke loose at a literary journal. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Having checked in here and with literary pursuits top of mind, take the five-minute stroll to Trinity University, a walled enclave founded in the 16th century. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar leads the anthology of four short films based on stories by British literary fantasist Roald Dahl. Armond White, National Review, 15 Mar. 2024 Here’s some helpful advice to show you how to get the most out of your literary endeavor. New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The political attacks are thought to have influenced the Polish Oscar committee’s decision not to put Green Border forward as Poland’s best international film contender this year, instead selecting DK and Hugh Welchman’s Hugh animated literary adaptation The Peasants (which did not get nominated). Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'literary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of literary was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near literary

Cite this Entry

“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literary. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

literary

adjective
lit·​er·​ary ˈlit-ə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce literary (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to literature
2
: of or relating to writers or writing as a profession
literarily
ˌlit-ə-ˈrer-ə-lē
adverb
literariness
ˈlit-ə-ˌrer-ē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on literary

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