literary
adjective
lit·er·ary
ˈli-tə-ˌrer-ē 
1
a
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of humane learning or literature
a literary education
a literary institution
b
: bookish sense 2
an essay written in a very literary style
c
: of or relating to books
a literary agent
a literary manuscript
2
a
: well-read
… he is literary, given to quoting to himself rather long stretches of remembered lines …—
F. J. Hoffman
F. J. Hoffman
b
: of or relating to authors or scholars or to their professions
her literary biographies
Synonyms of literary
Examples of literary in a Sentence
Do his books have any literary merit?
Mystery fiction is only one of many literary forms.
an essay written in a very literary style
The author uses many literary devices in his work.
He entered the literary world right out of college.
She hired a literary agent.
Recent Examples on the Web
The posthumous revelation that Munro’s husband, Gerald Fremlin, had assaulted her daughter Andrea Skinner as a child and that Munro was dismissive of this fact hit the literary world like a wrecking ball.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
The controversy comes at an intensifying moment for the literary world’s ongoing struggle with AI.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 9 Apr. 2026
To make our lineup, The Times surveyed more than 200 authors, publishers, journalists and general book club enthusiasts to select the best book club reads in 10 categories, including romance, mystery, memoir and literary fiction.
—Brittany Levine Beckman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The literary culture of the Mughal Empire was among the most productive in the early modern world, and its surviving texts reflect something of the complexity that defined the dynasty.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
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Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
The controversy comes at an intensifying moment for the literary world’s ongoing struggle with AI.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 9 Apr. 2026
To make our lineup, The Times surveyed more than 200 authors, publishers, journalists and general book club enthusiasts to select the best book club reads in 10 categories, including romance, mystery, memoir and literary fiction.
—Brittany Levine Beckman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
The literary culture of the Mughal Empire was among the most productive in the early modern world, and its surviving texts reflect something of the complexity that defined the dynasty.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literary. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
literary
adjective
lit·er·ary
ˈlit-ə-ˌrer-ē
1
a
: of or relating to literature
b
2
: of or relating to writers or writing as a profession
literarily
adverb
ˌlit-ə-ˈrer-ə-lē
literariness
noun
ˈlit-ə-ˌrer-ē-nəs
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