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
Her erudite digressions and granular readings add up to a kind of literary procedural.
—
Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, former presidents of Ireland, have also addressed gatherings of the Irish Fellowship Club; in 2024, the club supported the transfer of Robinson’s literary collection to DePaul University.
—Brian Cahalane, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
His dialogue is effective instead of literary — cleanly and clearly communicating character and motivations, with quotable moments of humor, and keeping his stories’ always-high stakes front and center.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026
The book is one of Latin America’s biggest bestsellers of all time and catapulted Allende to literary superstardom in the 1980s.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, former presidents of Ireland, have also addressed gatherings of the Irish Fellowship Club; in 2024, the club supported the transfer of Robinson’s literary collection to DePaul University.
—Brian Cahalane, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
His dialogue is effective instead of literary — cleanly and clearly communicating character and motivations, with quotable moments of humor, and keeping his stories’ always-high stakes front and center.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026
The book is one of Latin America’s biggest bestsellers of all time and catapulted Allende to literary superstardom in the 1980s.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 17 Feb. 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
-
Mystic trust in the power of Mercury or whatever spans generations and intellectual capacities.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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But these associations were purely intellectual.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Her academic studies have taken her from China to Hungary to the United Arab Emirates.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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However, the priest has been praised by progressives for his academic achievements and his efforts to assist the poor.—
Manuel Rueda,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Travelers who want a base with a bookish atmosphere, where renowned writers crafted masterpieces, and with plenty of cozy corners to dive into a good book, have some page-turning prospects, from London to San Diego’s Coronado Island.—
Lindsay Cohn,
Vogue,
4 Feb. 2026
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Daeron Targaryen Daeron Targaryen, otherwise known as Daeron the Drunkard, is a bookish and melancholy Targaryen prince known for his prophetic dreams.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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At the heart of this debate seems to be both a misunderstanding of the point of scholastic sports and a view, at least by some, that trans girls have an unfair physical advantage.—
Peter Jensen,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Jan. 2026
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In a white paper released in October, the committee recommends moving the men’s game, and perhaps the women’s, from the current fall-only schedule to one that covers the entire scholastic year and culminates in an April playoff festival.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Her erudite digressions and granular readings add up to a kind of literary procedural.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The behind-the-scenes footage of the series, some of it previously unaired, allows viewers to see Walsh’s full range — erudite professor, taskmaster, West Coast offense wizard and comic cut-up.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literary. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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