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View synonyms for

literary

[lit-uh-rer-ee]

adjective

  1. pertaining to or of the nature of books and writings, especially those classed as literature.

    literary history.

  2. pertaining to authorship.

    literary style.

  3. versed in or acquainted with literature; well-read.

  4. engaged in or having the profession of literature or writing.

    a literary man.

  5. characterized by an excessive or affected display of learning; stilted; pedantic.

  6. preferring books to actual experience; bookish.



literary

/ ˈlɪtrərɪ, ˈlɪtərərɪ /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, concerned with, or characteristic of literature or scholarly writing

    a literary discussion

    a literary style

  2. versed in or knowledgeable about literature

    a literary man

  3. (of a word) formal; not colloquial

“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
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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.
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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
  • ˈٱԱ noun
  • ˈٱ adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of literary1

1640–50; < Latin īٱܲ, ٳٱܲ of reading and writing. See letter 1, -ary
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Word History and Origins

Origin of literary1

C17: from Latin ٳٱܲ concerning reading and writing. See letter
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“I was nervous, and my editor wasn’t sure, either,” says Brown, who cites Kurt Vonnegut as a literary influence.

From

But many literary agents weren’t receptive to her change of genre.

From

She brings her impressive literary toolbox to bear here, and the novel ranks among her best work, alongside “American Woman” and the National Book Award laureate “Trust Exercise.”

From

"It's not very often that I look around and see hijabis in literary spaces, put it that way, and it's been lovely."

From

Our selections this month include literary fiction about a parent’s blurry past, Manhattan diaries from the Reagan era and a politically relevant road-trip novel.

From

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literal-mindedliterary agent