What does literarily mean?
Literarily is an adverb meaning in a manner that concerns literature or is judged by literary principles. It is used especially when describing a work's treatment, influences, style, or relationship to an earlier literary tradition. For example, a novel might be called literarily indebted to a movement such as modernism, while a speaker might use “literarily speaking” to frame a claim as a matter of literary interpretation rather than literal fact. The word has a formal, relatively uncommon register. Although it is not as familiar as literally, literarily is useful because it signals that a discussion concerns literature as an art form, including aesthetic choices, narrative techniques, and conventions. It can also distinguish an assessment made within literary criticism from one based on historical, scientific, or everyday standards. Its distinctive ending may make it easy to mistake for the more familiar adverb, but its meaning remains securely tied to literature and its artistic practice.
adverbIn a manner characterized by literary qualities or according to literary principles and standards.
- With respect to literature or in accordance with literary principles, standards, or aesthetic judgments.
"The novel is literarily indebted to the modernist tradition."
"The novel is literarily indebted to the modernist tradition."
"The director's adaptation is literarily ambitious, though uneven in execution."
Literarily and literally share a Latin root: both begin with litter-, the Latin word for “letter.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does literarily come from?
Literarily was formed in English by adding the adverbial suffix -ly to literary. Literary comes from Latin litterarius, meaning “of letters” or “pertaining to literature,” ultimately from littera, meaning “letter.” Related English words include literature, literate, and literacy, all of which belong to the same Latin family associated with letters, learning, and written language.
How literarily is actually used
Formal and relatively uncommon. It is especially appropriate in literary criticism and discussion of style, influences, narrative techniques, or artistic achievement.
Easily confused with literarily
Literarily refers to literature or literary principles, whereas literally refers to the exact meaning of words or to something actually occurring.