literary
Americanadjective
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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.
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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
- literarily adverb
- literariness noun
- nonliterarily adverb
- nonliterarilyness noun
- nonliterariness noun
- nonliterary adjective
- overliterarily adverb
- overliterariness noun
- overliterary adjective
- preliterary adjective
- pseudoliterary adjective
- quasi-literary adjective
- unliterary adjective
Etymology
Origin of literary
1640–50; < Latin līterārius, litterārius of reading and writing. See letter 1, -ary
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.
"Hamnet," a tragic literary adaptation that imagines William Shakespeare coping with the death of his son, is likely to land a bagful of nominations.
From Barron's
Like my literary betters, I sometimes worry that reading distracts me from writing.
From Los Angeles Times
It showcased Barnes' ability to blend fact and fabrication creatively as well as his literary knowledge of all things French.
From BBC
While libraries offer programming for children and seniors, Fabry noticed a gap in literary events for people ages 20 to 50 and sought to fill it.
From Los Angeles Times
Poets who “enhance AI’s understanding of poetic structure, literary nuance and emotional expression” can earn as much as $150 an hour.
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.
