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
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 it was not published in a literary magazine until 1988, after some measure of democratization had been achieved.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
In this interview, the New York resident discusses his approach to the creative process, the challenges of balancing multiple roles in the literary world, and the importance of preserving voices from the past.
—Court Stroud, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
But the literary tradition is not much more than 100 years old and for the past 50 years the number of people writing in the language has been no more than a handful.
—The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024
France has long held up its literary tradition as a space where freedom of expression can thrive.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for literary 
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Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
In this interview, the New York resident discusses his approach to the creative process, the challenges of balancing multiple roles in the literary world, and the importance of preserving voices from the past.
—Court Stroud, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
But the literary tradition is not much more than 100 years old and for the past 50 years the number of people writing in the language has been no more than a handful.
—The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024
France has long held up its literary tradition as a space where freedom of expression can thrive.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for literary
Dictionary Entries Near literary
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literary. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
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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