writerly
Americanadjective
-
characteristic or typical of an author, especially a professional one.
-
markedly literary.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of writerly
First recorded in 1955–60; writer ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
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
Imagine a voice-dictation AI that knows when to automatically insert semicolons; be still my writerly heart.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 24, 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
Allen’s writerly eccentricities vary from song to song.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2024
How could a seasoned author like John Keegan, a man who shows frequent flashes of writerly flair, serve as a model of incoherent writing, comparing badly with a guy who sells birdseed on Cape Cod?
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
