as in learned
suggestive of the vocabulary used in books
the novel's dialogue is a little too literary in flavor to be entirely convincing
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Recent Examples of literary
Szalay’s novel was named the winner of the prestigious literary award.
—
Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Beauty powerhouses and niche brands alike came up with commercial and cultural activations, ranging from Valentino Beauty setting up a pop-up to Davines hosting a literary salon.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
Diving Bell is among a batch of talent agencies focused on digital talent and creators, notable for focusing on talent who straddle the content creation, broadcast, literary and IP spaces.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
The Texas Education Agency initially proposed over 300 literary works, from which the state board trimmed about 100 of the readings.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Beauty powerhouses and niche brands alike came up with commercial and cultural activations, ranging from Valentino Beauty setting up a pop-up to Davines hosting a literary salon.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
Diving Bell is among a batch of talent agencies focused on digital talent and creators, notable for focusing on talent who straddle the content creation, broadcast, literary and IP spaces.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
The Texas Education Agency initially proposed over 300 literary works, from which the state board trimmed about 100 of the readings.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literary
Adjective
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What made the incident even more striking was that most of Audubon Zoo’s sleepy lizards were bred in captivity, implying the reaction was an innate response instead of learned behavior.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
17 Sep. 2025
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This kind of trading is seen as a form of learned behavior, where dogs associate a specific action with a reward.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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The trio, and others in their intellectual circle, share a few radical views.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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There are moments when the book, in defending Giacometti, seems to overburden his oeuvre with an exponential set of aesthetic, intellectual, and political problems, from resolving the tensions between modernism and the avant-garde to a singular working through of national trauma.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Schools across the Emirates were shuttered for weeks after the war began, shifting students to remote learning, prompting some parents, who CNBC has spoken with since the war began, to send children back to their home countries to complete the academic term at schools teaching in-person.—
Emma Graham,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
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The distinction is more than an academic nicety.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There are authors and booths everywhere, and plenty of totes and bookish merch to get your hands on.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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The contrast between the bookish judge, lauded during his confirmation for his reverence of legal precedents, and the agitated, outspoken figure of recent years was especially noticeable to old friends and supporters.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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When not identified early, this can potentially derail a student’s scholastic trajectory from the very first days of school.—
Sherri Helvie,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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Fugard lets his scholastic streak drive a good deal of the conversation.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Soderbergh’s sly film asks what indeed constitutes great art and whether the answer lies in the eye of the beholder or in the erudite but not always reliable opinions from art criticism, art followers and the sometimes shallow artworld overall?—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
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The dazzlingly witty and erudite script, by Robert Kaplow, is nominated for Best Original Screenplay; Hawke, who is rightly nominated for Best Actor, delivers one of his richest and most surprising performances.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literary. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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