writerly

W4R1I1T1E1R1L1Y4

adjective

Characteristic of a writer; using well-chosen words or well-crafted sentences.

“The article was writerly and professional.”

UncommonScrabble 14

Meanings

adjectivewriterly (comparative more writerly, superlative most writerly)

comparative more writerly · superlative most writerly

  1. Characteristic of a writer; using well-chosen words or well-crafted sentences.

    The article was writerly and professional.

    1 more example

    Digital upstarts like Buzzfeed and The Verge are relying on “long-form” editors to create big features. Heralding “a coming renaissance of long-form journalism,” the twitchy news site Politico hired away the editor in chief of Foreign Policy magazine last summer to commission writerly, deeply reported stories.

    2013 December 12, James Bennet, “Against 'Long-Form Journalism'”, in James Bennet, editor, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 Mar 2014, retrieved 23 Jul 2026
  2. of or pertaining to a writer

    the long road to writerly recognition is riddled with disappointment.

    2020 October 13, Beatrice Loayza, “Jack London gets an Italian makeover in the tragic and romantic Martin Eden”, in AV Club

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*wrītaną
  2. Proto-West Germanic*wrītan
  3. Old Englishwrītan
  4. Old Englishwrītere
  5. Middle Englishwriter
  6. Englishwriter
  7. Englishwriterly

From writer + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Hungarian írói
  • íróiof or pertaining to a writer
Portuguese autoral, autoral
  • autoralcharacteristic of a writer
  • autoralof or pertaining to a writer
Cite this entry
APA

writerly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/writerly

MLA

“writerly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/writerly. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “writerly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/writerly.

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