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
Synonyms of literary
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
Yet Shelby Van Pelt has had the kind of runaway literary success that every debut novelist dreams about.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Legendary dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler sold it in 1913 to none other than literary giant Gertrude Stein.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Over 100 years ago, this cake won the county fair competition in Columbus, Georgia, and was later featured in the literary classic, To Kill A Mockingbird.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
Just don’t go in expecting a literal adaptation of the literary classic.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
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Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Legendary dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler sold it in 1913 to none other than literary giant Gertrude Stein.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Over 100 years ago, this cake won the county fair competition in Columbus, Georgia, and was later featured in the literary classic, To Kill A Mockingbird.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
Just don’t go in expecting a literal adaptation of the literary classic.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literary. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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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