literary
Americanadjective
-
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.
adjective
-
of, relating to, concerned with, or characteristic of literature or scholarly writing
a literary discussion
a literary style
-
versed in or knowledgeable about literature
a literary man
-
(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
Derived 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)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
National Librarian Day
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Writing - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Seven Georgian nationals will be tried in Paris starting Tuesday for the theft of rare editions of Russian literary classics from prestigious French libraries, including works by Alexander Pushkin.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
The thefts targeted rare Russian classics worth millions of euros in total, including by 19th-century literary greats Pushkin and Nikolai Gogol.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Fame brought her introductions to such literary heavyweights as Carson McCullers, Carl Sandburg, Jean-Paul Sartre, Edith Sitwell and Dylan Thomas, all of whom came to regard her with respect and affection.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Rowbottom’s husband, the novelist Jon Lindsey, pointed to her instinct for subjects that literary fiction has historically dismissed — either as unserious, feminine or culturally overexposed.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
Jo’s book was the pride of her heart, and was regarded by her family as a literary sprout of great promise.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
