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
But in the old school literary canon (and a boatload of modern lit), the visceral and corporeal are often left out.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
All five are based in the company’s Los Angeles office and now represent clients across both the literary and talent departments.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026
Reza Baraheni, arguably the most prominent literary critic of the last century in Iran, genuflected before The Blind Owl.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
Utterly Shameless sets out to give White his long-overdue flowers, positioning him alongside other contemporary literary greats.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
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Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
All five are based in the company’s Los Angeles office and now represent clients across both the literary and talent departments.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026
Reza Baraheni, arguably the most prominent literary critic of the last century in Iran, genuflected before The Blind Owl.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
Utterly Shameless sets out to give White his long-overdue flowers, positioning him alongside other contemporary literary greats.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 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 16 Jan. 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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