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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of literary
The chatbot would have been asked to produce a short work of post-colonial fiction worthy of a literary prize.
—
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 June 2026
This is my all-time favorite Jane Austen novel—and hands-down favorite literary love story.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 June 2026
Her fourth novel, Pool House—out June 9—is her first foray into literary fiction.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026
Each episode centers around a new ‘book of the week,’ ranging from science fiction epics and romantasy sensations, to literary classics and underground cult favorites, before the conversations spiral far beyond the page.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 June 2026
This is my all-time favorite Jane Austen novel—and hands-down favorite literary love story.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 June 2026
Her fourth novel, Pool House—out June 9—is her first foray into literary fiction.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026
Each episode centers around a new ‘book of the week,’ ranging from science fiction epics and romantasy sensations, to literary classics and underground cult favorites, before the conversations spiral far beyond the page.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 June 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
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Her collections, primarily for women but with a recent addition of menswear, are sophisticated, otherworldly and intellectual.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
10 Dec. 2025
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Social media does create a powerful consensus—on the internet, everything tends to grow quickly toward one source of light— and an argument can be made that a slower, more fractured network of in-person, localized arguments might ultimately offer up more intellectual variety.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Newton reportedly stole a computer, and there were allegations of academic misconduct.—
Mac Engel
June 15,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
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That letter has now been signed by about 100 cybersecurity professionals from companies including Nvidia, Adobe, Zoom, Google, Anaplan, and Sophos, as well as some academic cybersecurity researchers.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Angela’s bookish young son Jonathan (Danny Pintauro) and her gloriously uninhibited mother Mona (Katherine Helmond) rounded out the household.—
JP Mangalindan,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
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Patel grew up in a small village in the middle of England, performed with The Young Actors Company in Cambridge and turned professional at 17 — spending the next nine years playing the quiet, bookish Tamwar Masood on the British soap EastEnders.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Her work — rooted in teaching, scholastic research and mentoring — is continually focused on advancing social, racial and economic equity in secondary education classrooms.—
Larry D. Urish,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
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When not identified early, this can potentially derail a student’s scholastic trajectory from the very first days of school.—
Sherri Helvie,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Original host Dave Garroway was an erudite guide who shaped the mix of news, lifestyle and human interest stories that still define morning news programs.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
10 June 2026
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The work of the reclusive, forbiddingly erudite author turns out to be perfect easy-listening material.—
Namara Smith,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literary. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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