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 fans of schoolyard intrigue (and thus literary scandal) will be disappointed by the biography’s respectful sense of duty toward its subject.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
This year a total of 37 locations and seven literary organizations are participating in the book crawl.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 19 Mar. 2026
But fans of schoolyard intrigue (and thus literary scandal) will be disappointed by the biography’s respectful sense of duty toward its subject.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
Kokurojo is a feudal mystery drama set during a 16th-century castle siege, adapted from Honobu Yonezawa’s novel that made Japanese literary history by sweeping all four of the country’s major mystery awards.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
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Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
This year a total of 37 locations and seven literary organizations are participating in the book crawl.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 19 Mar. 2026
But fans of schoolyard intrigue (and thus literary scandal) will be disappointed by the biography’s respectful sense of duty toward its subject.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
Kokurojo is a feudal mystery drama set during a 16th-century castle siege, adapted from Honobu Yonezawa’s novel that made Japanese literary history by sweeping all four of the country’s major mystery awards.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 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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