How to Use literary in a Sentence

literary

adjective
  • He entered the literary world right out of college.
  • She hired a literary agent.
  • The author uses many literary devices in his work.
  • Do his books have any literary merit?
  • Mystery fiction is only one of many literary forms.
  • But wait, is that the world of literary fiction, or of fairy tales?
    — Kristen Roupenian, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
  • These changes impact the desire, the need and the chances of signing with a literary agent.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 13 May 2022
  • The Carol Shields Prize is a newcomer in the world of literary awards.
    — Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
  • The idea of the literary self-insert doesn’t resonate with me as a reader.
    — Carole Bell, BostonGlobe.com, 13 July 2023
  • Suit up all your tech in a slick literary sleeve with the rest of its BookBook cases.
    — Kelsey Glennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
  • Toro, the friendly bull mascot, meets Poe, the literary bird.
    — Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2024
  • The award is among the top honors in the literary world, with just five books named to the long list along with five finalists.
    — Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Oct. 2022
  • The show is loosely based on the literary works by Isaac Asimov.
    — Sophie Hanson, Harper's BAZAAR, 24 June 2022
  • His literary agent, Ellen Levine, said the cause was cancer.
    — Rebecca Chace, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2023
  • But the award placed the book at the center of a fierce debate about literary translations.
    — Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024
  • But here’s the crucial part: Don’t try to sound like your literary heroes.
    — Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2024
  • As the literary critic Scott Saul points out, though, the novel is also very much of its time.
    — Adam Bradley, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2023
  • That’s why millions turned to a year-old movie on Netflix and a literary classic to try and make sense of the turmoil.
    — Chris Morris, Fortune Asia, 6 Dec. 2024
  • The Wheatleys taught her to read and write, sowing the seeds for her literary abilities.
    — Tiana Woodard, BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2023
  • In Henry's first foray into the literary world, Natalie Cleary is on the cusp of the rest of her life.
    — Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
  • McGivern has read the Six of Crows series 10 times in the past six years and credits much of her literary passion to it.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Verve, the talent and literary agency, is on the move in Los Angeles.
    — Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Aug. 2023
  • The firm’s clients span film, TV, music, literary, tech and activism.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 May 2023
  • The targeting of one of the world’s most famous authors sparked anger and concern among fans and shocked the literary world.
    — Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2022
  • Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world.
    — Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
  • The literary founders of the modern American Right passed long ago.
    — Nr Editors, National Review, 17 Feb. 2022
  • That freedom is at the heart of why Lawrence's work scandalized the literary world when it was first published in 1928.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 25 Nov. 2022
  • Here’s some helpful advice to show you how to get the most out of your literary endeavor.
    — New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
  • The winners are chosen by book critics instead of committees made up of authors or academics, which is how most literary prizes are administered.
    — Alexandra Alter, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2025
  • After Grade’s death, his literary estate was controlled by his widow, Inna Hecker Grade, who resisted scholars’ and translators’ attempts to work on his papers.
    — Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'literary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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