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literary
[ lit-uh-rer-ee ]
/ ˈlɪt əˌrɛr i /
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adjective
pertaining to or of the nature of books and writings, especially those classed as literature: literary history.
pertaining to authorship: literary style.
versed in or acquainted with literature; well-read.
engaged in or having the profession of literature or writing: a literary man.
characterized by an excessive or affected display of learning; stilted; pedantic.
preferring books to actual experience; bookish.
VIDEO FOR LITERARY
Can You Guess Which Books These Literary Quotes Are From?
Who loves writing? Who loves reading? Yup, us too! Let's test your knowledge of some of literature's most famous lines. Ready?
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
usage note for literary
In this dictionary, the label Literary is assigned to an entry term or definition that is used rarely in contemporary speech or writing except to create a literary, poetic, or evocative effect.
OTHER WORDS FROM literary
Words nearby literary
literalism, literality, literalize, literally, literal-minded, literary, literary agent, literary executor, literate, literati, literatim
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use literary in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for literary
literary
/ (ˈlɪtərərɪ, ˈlɪtrərɪ) /
adjective
of, relating to, concerned with, or characteristic of literature or scholarly writinga literary discussion; a literary style
versed in or knowledgeable about literaturea literary man
(of a word) formal; not colloquial
Derived forms of literary
literarily, adverbliterariness, nounWord Origin for literary
C17: from Latin litterārius concerning reading and writing. See letter
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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