as in colloquial
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing
poems written in a natural, unliterary voice
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Recent Examples of unliterary
The bond between Alice and the spiky, decidedly unliterary Felix might flummox.
—
New York Times, 1 Sep. 2021
Both were born as writers in public libraries—hyper-bright American Jewish urban boys from unliterary backgrounds, encountering the classics on their own, without too much pre-sorting, responding with delight, imitation, amusement, and familiarity.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2021
New York Times, 1 Sep. 2021
Both were born as writers in public libraries—hyper-bright American Jewish urban boys from unliterary backgrounds, encountering the classics on their own, without too much pre-sorting, responding with delight, imitation, amusement, and familiarity.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unliterary
Adjective
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Their language — marked by rich, tactile detail and a colloquial urgency — has quietly shaped how generations of songwriters articulate devotion.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Although tabloid journalism tends not to focus on issues with broad socioeconomic impact, when these issues are covered audiences may relate to them more easily because they are discussed in colloquial, accessible language.—
Shepherd Mpofu,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The sound of motorbikes and cars fade as birds take over with their harmonies all around Nai Lert’s Thai vernacular style all-teak vacation home, built in 1915.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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This pattern blends the storytelling rhythm of the Persian mas̄navī (narrative poem written in rhyming couplets) with vernacular Hindi verse forms.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unliterary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unliterary. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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