writerly

American  

[rahy-ter-lee] / ˈraɪ tər li /

adjective

1. characteristic or typical of an author, especially a professional one.

2. markedly literary.

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writerly British  

/ ˈraɪtəlɪ /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of a writer; literary

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Etymology

Origin of writerly

First recorded in 1955–60; writer ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

writerly

The lack of concrete information, as well as the fact that Bourdain himself used writerly flare to describe his young antics, gave the filmmakers room to invent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

If the goal is writerly independence, then drawing the red line at writing protects the independence of the final product far less than one might hope.

From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2026

Em dashes are among the most writerly of punctuation marks precisely because they don’t really need to be there.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2025

“Some of the wildest moments that just feel like they’re writerly flights of fancy are actually correct,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2024

Savoring good prose is not just a more effective way to develop a writerly ear than obeying a set of commandments; it’s a more inviting one.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker