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
Among all the things that make Iliad Bookshop unique is the mural outside, depicting literary scenes and portraits of more than fifty authors and musicians like Charles Dickens, Sylvia Plath, Harper Lee, Pink Floyd and Tom Petty.
—
Daily News,
19 June 2026
The series underscores StudioCanal’s growing push into high-profile family franchises and literary IP.
—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Unlike the literary or film industries, the art world has historically operated without agents, as galleries essentially fill the role of manager, agent, and distributor in one, usually for a 50 percent cut of sales.
—
Rachel Corbett,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
At the end of my recent literary tour of Cairo, Athens and Rome with Percy Jackson fans, half of our 30-person tour group inked a reference to Rick Riordan’s beloved series on their skin.
—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Daily News,
19 June 2026
The series underscores StudioCanal’s growing push into high-profile family franchises and literary IP.
—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Unlike the literary or film industries, the art world has historically operated without agents, as galleries essentially fill the role of manager, agent, and distributor in one, usually for a 50 percent cut of sales.
—
Rachel Corbett,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
At the end of my recent literary tour of Cairo, Athens and Rome with Percy Jackson fans, half of our 30-person tour group inked a reference to Rick Riordan’s beloved series on their skin.
—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
17 June 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 25 Jun. 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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