as in learned
suggestive of the vocabulary used in books
the novel's dialogue is a little too literary in flavor to be entirely convincing
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Recent Examples of literary
In 1994, at a literary conference in Mexico, Eduardo met Adriana Barrios, who was working at the National Institute of Fine Arts.
—
Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
But what was once a distant dream is now coming true for more and more authors, all up and down the ladder of literary fame and prestige.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
Wigtown, Scotland Part coastal village, part literary oasis, Wigtown is the official National Book Town of Scotland.
—Lara Kramer, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Mar. 2026
In the northeastern state of Alagoas, some prisoners were handed a Kindle with 300 literary works on them, whereas other, more conservative states have heavy bureaucracy which hinders access, Dias said.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
But what was once a distant dream is now coming true for more and more authors, all up and down the ladder of literary fame and prestige.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
Wigtown, Scotland Part coastal village, part literary oasis, Wigtown is the official National Book Town of Scotland.
—Lara Kramer, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Mar. 2026
In the northeastern state of Alagoas, some prisoners were handed a Kindle with 300 literary works on them, whereas other, more conservative states have heavy bureaucracy which hinders access, Dias said.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literary
Adjective
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What made the incident even more striking was that most of Audubon Zoo’s sleepy lizards were bred in captivity, implying the reaction was an innate response instead of learned behavior.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
17 Sep. 2025
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This kind of trading is seen as a form of learned behavior, where dogs associate a specific action with a reward.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Amazon built its hiring process around its core Leadership Principles, with interviewers trained to probe for red flags, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has been outspoken about valuing street smarts and intellectual curiosity over pedigree alone.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Her daughter, Gabs Gonzalez, has an intellectual and developmental disability, or IDD.—
Sarah Horbacewicz,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While students are surrounded by technology, teachers say that exposure alone is not building the kind of skills needed for academic or professional environments.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Wyzant provides academic tutoring services, which allow tutors to establish their own hourly rates that range between $25 and $100.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Calgary, Alberta The third-largest city by population in Canada, Calgary offers a vibrant destination for literary enthusiasts that is a refreshing change of pace from the often sleepy, romantic bookish towns.—
Lara Kramer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
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Those making more bookish and insular styles of the genre, like the Magnetic Fields and Belle and Sebastian, weren’t being worshipped as critical darlings; in some cases their records hadn’t made it to America yet.—
David Glickman,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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At the heart of this debate seems to be both a misunderstanding of the point of scholastic sports and a view, at least by some, that trans girls have an unfair physical advantage.—
Peter Jensen,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Jan. 2026
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In a white paper released in October, the committee recommends moving the men’s game, and perhaps the women’s, from the current fall-only schedule to one that covers the entire scholastic year and culminates in an April playoff festival.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The dazzlingly witty and erudite script, by Robert Kaplow, is nominated for Best Original Screenplay; Hawke, who is rightly nominated for Best Actor, delivers one of his richest and most surprising performances.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
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Enrigue is an erudite, charismatic raconteur—the sort who will tell you the most abject story with a wink—and his novel distills a byzantine swirl of historical events through the lives of a handful of very colorful characters.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literary. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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