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
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Cecchi-Azzolina, by contrast, has transformed the space into a Hollywood vision of an important literary haunt.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2023
Indie bookstores also give back to schools, support local libraries, and offer in person, fun, educational, literary events.
—Novel Neighbor, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
American Fiction begins with Monk, a college professor, teaching a class about America’s literary greats.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
The nearly 1,000-page result, published by Ecco in 2003 with a laudatory introduction by the literary critic Harold Bloom, consumed two years of her working life and was widely regarded as a masterpiece.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023
The heat over the Autostraddle acquisition reminds me of a recent $10,000 grant awarded to Sinister Wisdom, a multicultural lesbian literary and art journal that has been publishing (and expanding) since 1976.
—Sara Youngblood Gregory, The New Republic, 7 Sep. 2023
Second-floor offerings include - but definitely are not limited to - literary criticism.
—Karen Sandstrom, cleveland, 1 Sep. 2023
Even without that cinematic component, though, Curtis would rank as a seminal figure in Portland’s literary and cultural scene, a constant lifeline to a countercultural past and an unflagging inspiration to generations of writers and artists.
—Marc Mohan | , oregonlive, 29 Aug. 2023
But unlike the best sellers and movies about the American frontier, his novels attracted little attention beyond few enthusiastic literary critics.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
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Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2023
Indie bookstores also give back to schools, support local libraries, and offer in person, fun, educational, literary events.
—Novel Neighbor, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
American Fiction begins with Monk, a college professor, teaching a class about America’s literary greats.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
The nearly 1,000-page result, published by Ecco in 2003 with a laudatory introduction by the literary critic Harold Bloom, consumed two years of her working life and was widely regarded as a masterpiece.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023
The heat over the Autostraddle acquisition reminds me of a recent $10,000 grant awarded to Sinister Wisdom, a multicultural lesbian literary and art journal that has been publishing (and expanding) since 1976.
—Sara Youngblood Gregory, The New Republic, 7 Sep. 2023
Second-floor offerings include - but definitely are not limited to - literary criticism.
—Karen Sandstrom, cleveland, 1 Sep. 2023
Even without that cinematic component, though, Curtis would rank as a seminal figure in Portland’s literary and cultural scene, a constant lifeline to a countercultural past and an unflagging inspiration to generations of writers and artists.
—Marc Mohan | , oregonlive, 29 Aug. 2023
But unlike the best sellers and movies about the American frontier, his novels attracted little attention beyond few enthusiastic literary critics.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'literary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing literary
Dictionary Entries Near literary
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literary. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.
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Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on literary
Nglish: Translation of literary for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of literary for Arabic Speakers
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