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
The winners are chosen by book critics instead of committees made up of authors or academics, which is how most literary prizes are administered.
—Alexandra Alter, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2025
Following in the literary footsteps of iconic detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple is Davies’ detective Cordelia Cupp, portrayed by Aduba.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
The prestigious literary award honors books across genres, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry and translation, as well as literary achievement and service.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
After Grade’s death, his literary estate was controlled by his widow, Inna Hecker Grade, who resisted scholars’ and translators’ attempts to work on his papers.
—Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literary
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Alexandra Alter, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2025
Following in the literary footsteps of iconic detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple is Davies’ detective Cordelia Cupp, portrayed by Aduba.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
The prestigious literary award honors books across genres, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry and translation, as well as literary achievement and service.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
After Grade’s death, his literary estate was controlled by his widow, Inna Hecker Grade, who resisted scholars’ and translators’ attempts to work on his papers.
—Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for literary
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literary. Accessed 29 Mar. 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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