literary

[lit-uh-rer-ee]

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.

Origin of literary

1640–50; < Latin līterārius, litterārius of reading and writing. See letter¹, -ary

Related formslit·er·ar·i·ly, adverblit·er·ar·i·ness, nounnon·lit·er·ar·i·ly, adverbnon·lit·er·ar·i·ly·ness, nounnon·lit·er·ar·i·ness, nounnon·lit·er·ar·y, adjectiveo·ver·lit·er·ar·i·ly, adverbo·ver·lit·er·ar·i·ness, nouno·ver·lit·er·ar·y, adjectivepre·lit·er·ar·y, adjectivepseu·do·lit·er·ar·y, adjectivequa·si-lit·er·ar·y, adjectiveun·lit·er·ar·y, adjective

Usage note

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for nonliterary

nonliterary

adjective

not of, relating to, concerned with, or characteristic of literature or scholarly writing

literary

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 Formsliterarily, adverbliterariness, noun

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for nonliterary

literary

adj.

1640s, "pertaining to alphabet letters," from French littéraire, from Latin literarius/litterarius "belonging to letters or learning," from littera/litera "letter" (see letter (n.1)). Meaning "pertaining to literature" is attested from 1737.