literary
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
relating to books, poems, and plays that are considered to have artistic value.
pertaining to literature as a body of work or a field of study.
Simple“The city is famous for its rich literary history and many famous poets.”
In context“The university's literary archives contain original manuscripts from several Nobel Prize winners, providing invaluable insight into their creative processes.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
using a style of language that is more formal or artistic than the way people usually speak.
characteristic of or appropriate to formal literature rather than everyday speech or functional writing.
Simple“The author used very literary language that was beautiful but sometimes difficult to read.”
In context“His prose style is notably literary, employing complex metaphors and archaic vocabulary that demand a high level of concentration from the reader.”
Antonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
describes a person who loves reading and knows a lot about books.
well-read or knowledgeable about books and the history of writing.
Simple“She was a very literary person who spent all her weekends in old bookstores.”
In context“The evening was spent in the company of literary types who debated the merits of Victorian poetry until the early hours of the morning.”
SynonymsAntonyms
literary vs literal — Literal describes the exact, non-figurative meaning of words, while literary describes things related to books and formal writing.
“His books are reviewed often on BookTok, TikTok’s literary subcommunity.”
“Instead it is 600 pages of deep pleasure, an excuse to revisit old literary loves and be reminded of ones that have slipped from view.”
From French littéraire.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.