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
The facilitators often have exceptional literary resumes; many are novelists and hold PhDs in literature.
—
Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
In transcripts of hearings of the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Garber finds an upwelling of voices from the literary past, among them Christopher Marlowe, the revenge dramatist Thomas Kyd, and, from first to last, Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Shakespeare.
—Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Beinart’s award is the latest example of a book sharply critical of the West’s response to the war in Gaza gaining major literary recognition, following a similar nonfiction winner at the National Book Awards in November.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
When asked about what makes Dallas a literary city, Evans doesn't have to think too long.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
In transcripts of hearings of the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Garber finds an upwelling of voices from the literary past, among them Christopher Marlowe, the revenge dramatist Thomas Kyd, and, from first to last, Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Shakespeare.
—Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Beinart’s award is the latest example of a book sharply critical of the West’s response to the war in Gaza gaining major literary recognition, following a similar nonfiction winner at the National Book Awards in November.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
When asked about what makes Dallas a literary city, Evans doesn't have to think too long.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for literary
Adjective
-
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
-
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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But Lemisch’s comes with an intellectual pedigree forged in the history wars of the ’60s and ’70s.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
The games holds that exact intellectual tension at its core.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Oil prices have an impact on voting behavior, according to decades of academic research.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
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The deeper issue is not academic integrity but the definition of intelligence.—
Gerald Bradshaw,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Meghna Rao, Substack Rao’s chatty, approachable style makes her regular bookish Substacks a treat for the inbox.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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There are authors and booths everywhere, and plenty of totes and bookish merch to get your hands on.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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When not identified early, this can potentially derail a student’s scholastic trajectory from the very first days of school.—
Sherri Helvie,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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Fugard lets his scholastic streak drive a good deal of the conversation.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Soderbergh’s sly film asks what indeed constitutes great art and whether the answer lies in the eye of the beholder or in the erudite but not always reliable opinions from art criticism, art followers and the sometimes shallow artworld overall?—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Literary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/literary. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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