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literary

lit·er·ar·y
L l

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [lit-uh-rer-ee]
    • /ˈlɪt əˌrɛr i/
    • /ˈlɪt.ər.ər.i/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [lit-uh-rer-ee]
    • /ˈlɪt əˌrɛr i/

Definitions of literary word

  • adjective literary pertaining to or of the nature of books and writings, especially those classed as literature: literary history. 1
  • adjective literary pertaining to authorship: literary style. 1
  • adjective literary versed in or acquainted with literature; well-read. 1
  • adjective literary engaged in or having the profession of literature or writing: a literary man. 1
  • adjective literary characterized by an excessive or affected display of learning; stilted; pedantic. 1
  • adjective literary preferring books to actual experience; bookish. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of literary

First appearance:

before 1640
One of the 44% oldest English words
1640-50; < Latin līterārius, litterārius of reading and writing. See letter1, -ary

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Literary

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

literary popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

literary usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for literary

adj literary

  • classical — You use classical to describe something that is traditional in form, style, or content.
  • scholarly — of, like, or befitting a scholar: scholarly habits.
  • bookish — Someone who is bookish spends a lot of time reading serious books.
  • formal — being in accordance with the usual requirements, customs, etc.; conventional: to pay one's formal respects.
  • learned — having much knowledge; scholarly; erudite: learned professors.

adjective literary

  • fictional — invented as part of a work of fiction: Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective.
  • mythical — pertaining to, of the nature of, or involving a myth.
  • legendary — of, relating to, or of the nature of a legend.
  • storybook — a book that contains a story or stories, especially for children.
  • fictitious — created, taken, or assumed for the sake of concealment; not genuine; false: fictitious names.

Antonyms for literary

adj literary

  • illiterate — unable to read and write: an illiterate group.

adjective literary

  • historical — of, pertaining to, treating, or characteristic of history or past events: historical records; historical research.

Top questions with literary

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See also

Matching words

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