as in colloquial
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing
a refreshingly unbookish talk on how dictionaries get made
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Recent Examples of unbookish
His parents, Evan Sr. and Elton, were members in good standing of the stolid upper middle class, active in community affairs, anti-intellectual and unbookish.
—
Marc Weingarten, WSJ, 7 Jan. 2022
Marc Weingarten, WSJ, 7 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unbookish
Adjective
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Spaar’s colloquial flippancies only reinforces her fervency.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
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The women’s game’s limited coverage meant his other honours with Umea — reaching two more UEFA Cup finals and five domestic trophies — were appreciated on a more colloquial level.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The sound of motorbikes and cars fade as birds take over with their harmonies all around Nai Lert’s Thai vernacular style all-teak vacation home, built in 1915.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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This pattern blends the storytelling rhythm of the Persian mas̄navī (narrative poem written in rhyming couplets) with vernacular Hindi verse forms.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Putin meeting in contrast Xi's meeting with Putin over the last few days has been a more informal affair, with the Kremlin keen to emphasize that the two-day trip was just a part of regular contact and communication between Moscow and Beijing.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
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And while the film industry is one often considered to be ruled by informal gateways and insider circles, thus far, the Rover team hasn’t encountered any pushback from directors uneager to share their secrets.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unbookish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unbookish. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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