literary

6 synonyms and 1 antonym for literary, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adj — Relating to literature, especially fiction, poetry, and other creative writing.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

written

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

scholarly poetic

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

bookish belletristic bookly

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adj

Relating to literature, especially fiction, poetry, and other creative writing.

“She has a strong literary background, having studied English and Comparative Literature.”

scholarly written poetic bookish belletristic bookly

2. adj

Suited to formal or artistic writing rather than everyday speech.

“The report used a literary style that felt out of place in a business memo.”

Opposites

colloquial

How to use literary

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

literary criticism literary fiction literary agent literary style

Etymology

From French littéraire, ultimately from Latin littera ("letter").

Full origin of literary →

Frequently asked questions

What does “literary” mean?

The word “literary” means relating to literature, especially fiction, poetry, and other creative writing. In plain terms, having to do with literature, or written in a formal, artistic style.

How do you pronounce “literary”?

“Literary” is pronounced LIHT-ruh-ree (/ˈlɪt.əˌɹɛɹ.i/ in IPA).

How do you use “literary” in a sentence?

Here is “literary” used in a sentence: “She has a strong literary background, having studied English and Comparative Literature.”

What is another word for “literary”?

Words with a similar meaning to “literary” include bookly.

What part of speech is “literary”?

“Literary” is an adjective.

Where does the word “literary” come from?

The word “literary” comes from Latin. From French littéraire, ultimately from Latin littera ("letter").

Is “literary” a common word?

“Literary” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “literary” have?

“Literary” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to literature, especially fiction, poetry, and other creative writing.

What is the difference between 'literary' and 'literate'?

'Literary' relates to literature and creative writing such as fiction and poetry. 'Literate' describes a person's ability to read and write, so the two words are not interchangeable despite looking similar.

When should you use 'literary' instead of 'literal'?

Use 'literary' for anything connected to literature or formal, artistic writing. 'Literal' means taking words in their exact, basic sense, so 'literal' and 'literary' have entirely different meanings and are easily confused.

What words commonly go with 'literary'?

'Literary' frequently appears in phrases like literary work, literary criticism, literary device, literary style, and literary career. These collocations all point to the world of writing and literature.

People also searched

written poetic scholarly colloquial belletristic bookly bookish

Nearby words

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