unliterary

U1N1L1I1T1E1R1A1R1Y4

adjective

Not associated with literature; especially, not associated with artistic literature

“His writing was simple and unliterary.”

Similar
nonliteraryinformal
OriginEnglish literary ← Middle English un- ← Old English un- →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

adjectiveunliterary (not comparable)
  1. not comparableNot associated with literature; especially, not associated with artistic literature

    His writing was simple and unliterary.

    1 more example

    A high school kid in a decidedly unliterary North Dakota town is nicknamed after a beast from "Beowulf"?

    2009 January 4, Peter Meehan, “Oh So ’80s”, in New York Times

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivemarked by lack of affectation or pedantry

Similar
nonliteraryinformal
Also see
nonliterary

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Germanic*un-
  4. Proto-West Germanic*un-
  5. Old Englishun-
  6. Middle Englishun-
  7. Englishun-
  8. Englishliterary
  9. Englishunliterary

From un- + literary.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish aliteracki
  • aliterackiTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

unliterary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unliterary

MLA

“unliterary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unliterary. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unliterary,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unliterary.

Source: unliterary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.