as in colloquial
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing
poems written in a natural, unliterary voice
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Recent Examples of unliterary
The bond between Alice and the spiky, decidedly unliterary Felix might flummox.
—
New York Times, 1 Sep. 2021
Both were born as writers in public libraries—hyper-bright American Jewish urban boys from unliterary backgrounds, encountering the classics on their own, without too much pre-sorting, responding with delight, imitation, amusement, and familiarity.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2021
New York Times, 1 Sep. 2021
Both were born as writers in public libraries—hyper-bright American Jewish urban boys from unliterary backgrounds, encountering the classics on their own, without too much pre-sorting, responding with delight, imitation, amusement, and familiarity.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unliterary
Adjective
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Cervantes’ writings mixes a high-style and an extraordinary realism, in ordinary life detail and colloquial dialogue.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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This isn’t about a desire for simpler, colloquial language.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For such an insistence on democracy, the pavilion is curiously tepid in its politics, save for a kind of vernacular populism and some PBS-esque nods to the Gee’s Bend quilters.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
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Once again, his use of vernacular and social media address appeared to be mocking the President’s own style.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Protesters signaled their support for Karki through an informal vote on the messaging app Discord.—
Sugam Pokharel,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Bolsonaro's presidency was marked by intense skepticism about the pandemic and vaccines and his embrace of informal mining and land-clearing for cattle grazing, pushing deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest to record highs.—
Ricardo Brito,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unliterary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unliterary. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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