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
On Thursday night, the New York Public Library’s astounding literary collection was supplemented with archival J.Crew memorabilia as the brand took over the space to celebrate the relaunch of the brand’s beloved catalog and fall campaign.
—Lea Donenberg, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2024
Anthony Minghella’s literary epic became a cinematic phenomenon, earning $232 million worldwide — still the highest-grossing film in the history of Miramax — and dominated the 1997 Academy Awards, taking nine Oscars, including those for best film and for Binoche, best supporting actress.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2024
Nominations for the honor are made by former National Book Award winners, finalists, judges and other writers and literary professionals, per a release.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2024
Soucy overlooks Ivory’s feeble cinematic technique (worst in The Bostonians and Slaves of New York) but pays apt attention to the later literary adaptations: Jefferson in Paris, The City of Your Final Destination and — the best of the Merchant-Ivory James dramas — The Golden Bowl.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for literary 
Lea Donenberg, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2024
Anthony Minghella’s literary epic became a cinematic phenomenon, earning $232 million worldwide — still the highest-grossing film in the history of Miramax — and dominated the 1997 Academy Awards, taking nine Oscars, including those for best film and for Binoche, best supporting actress.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2024
Nominations for the honor are made by former National Book Award winners, finalists, judges and other writers and literary professionals, per a release.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2024
Soucy overlooks Ivory’s feeble cinematic technique (worst in The Bostonians and Slaves of New York) but pays apt attention to the later literary adaptations: Jefferson in Paris, The City of Your Final Destination and — the best of the Merchant-Ivory James dramas — The Golden Bowl.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for literary
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'literary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near literary
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literary. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.
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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