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
Woodcutters sets forth the musings of a narrator sitting in an armchair at a dinner party who excoriates the literary awards establishments of his native land (and by extension all lands that are host to a robust bourgeoisie).
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
The literary affairs team, led by Clare Reeth, spearheaded efforts to land rights to the book.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Samizdat originally published literary texts, which, under censorship, had been altered.
—Jennifer Lutz, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
The conversation will be led by Israel’s Kan radio host and literary expert Yuval Avivi, who will be joined by artist Dana Yoeli and musician Iris London-Zolty.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
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Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
The literary affairs team, led by Clare Reeth, spearheaded efforts to land rights to the book.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Samizdat originally published literary texts, which, under censorship, had been altered.
—Jennifer Lutz, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
The conversation will be led by Israel’s Kan radio host and literary expert Yuval Avivi, who will be joined by artist Dana Yoeli and musician Iris London-Zolty.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 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 23 Feb. 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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