literary

[ lit-uh-rer-ee ]

adjective

1. pertaining to or of the nature of books and writings, especially those classed as literature:

   literary history.

2. pertaining to authorship:

   literary style.

3. versed in or acquainted with literature; well-read.
4. engaged in or having the profession of literature or writing:

   a literary man.

5. characterized by an excessive or affected display of learning; stilted; pedantic.
6. preferring books to actual experience; bookish.

literary

/ ˈlɪtrərɪ; ˈlɪtərərɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, concerned with, or characteristic of literature or scholarly writing

   a literary style

   a literary discussion

2. versed in or knowledgeable about literature

   a literary man

3. (of a word) formal; not colloquial

Usage Note

In this dictionary, the label Literary is assigned to an entry term or definition that is used rarely in contemporary speech or writing except to create a literary, poetic, or evocative effect.

Derived Forms

• ˈliterariness, noun
• ˈliterarily, adverb

Other Word Forms

• liter·ari·ly adverb
• liter·ari·ness noun
• non·liter·ari·ly adverb
• non·liter·ari·ly·ness noun
• non·liter·ari·ness noun
• non·liter·ary adjective
• over·liter·ari·ly adverb
• over·liter·ari·ness noun
• over·liter·ary adjective
• pre·liter·ary adjective
• pseudo·liter·ary adjective
• quasi-liter·ary adjective
• un·liter·ary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of literary¹

1640–50; < Latin līterārius, litterārius of reading and writing. See letter ¹, -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of literary¹

C17: from Latin litterārius concerning reading and writing. See letter

Example Sentences

However, the fact that his private investigator has been portrayed more than 254 times in movies and TV speaks to the endless malleability of a literary character that’s more than a century old.

From Salon

Every age sees the apocalypse in its own image, as the distinguished literary critic Frank Kermode observed in his book “The Sense of an Ending.”

From Los Angeles Times

“The Time of the Hero” helped to usher in El Boom Latinoamericano, the ’60s-era literary movement that had a seismic effect on literature internationally.

From Los Angeles Times

Jones is a bold experimentalist in his fiction, employing a mashup of literary genres, often with horror as a key element.

From Los Angeles Times

“Columbine” is outstanding literary journalism, balancing the facts with intimate portraits of those who were there on that horrific day in 1999.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• classical
• scholarly