literary
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or of the nature of books and writings, especially those classed as literature.
literary history.
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pertaining to authorship.
literary style.
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versed in or acquainted with literature; well-read.
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engaged in or having the profession of literature or writing.
a literary man.
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characterized by an excessive or affected display of learning; stilted; pedantic.
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preferring books to actual experience; bookish.
adjective
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of, relating to, concerned with, or characteristic of literature or scholarly writing
a literary discussion
a literary style
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versed in or knowledgeable about literature
a literary man
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(of a word) formal; not colloquial
Usage
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 Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of literary
1640–50; < Latin līterārius, litterārius of reading and writing. See letter 1, -ary
Explanation
Use literary when you want to indicate writing with high artistic qualities. Something doesn't have to be "literature" to be literary, but they are related. Literary comes from the Latin litterarius, meaning "letters," as in letters of the alphabet. Think of literary writing as writing that explores the richness of language or even contributes to it, especially in a high cultural way. The clever rhymes you invented about your grade school principal's bathing habits made your classmates laugh, but that doesn't make them great literary achievements.
Vocabulary lists containing literary
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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National Librarian Day
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Writing - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Speculation in Sweden's literary circles is already in full swing, fuelled by the fact that the list of nominees and the jury's deliberations are kept secret for 50 years.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
If you’re going to film a literary monument, and a period piece to boot, you’re going to have to spend some money.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
With the Patient Zero video, I got to explore the cinematic and literary genres I love so much.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Claims that Canadian-Haitian writer Thelyson Orelien used AI tools to write his best-selling debut novel are rocking the French literary world and posing questions about how AI can be detected.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
This private detective is the creation of San Francisco’s own literary son, Dashiell Hammett, and appeared in his novel The Maltese Falcon, as well as three short stories.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
