UNLITERARY Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

unliterary

adjective

ˌən-ˈli-tə-ˌrer-ē

Definition of unliterary

as in colloquial

used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing poems written in a natural, unliterary voice

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unliterary The bond between Alice and the spiky, decidedly unliterary Felix might flummox. — New York Times, 1 Sep. 2021 Both were born as writers in public libraries—hyper-bright American Jewish urban boys from unliterary backgrounds, encountering the classics on their own, without too much pre-sorting, responding with delight, imitation, amusement, and familiarity. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unliterary

Adjective

The theme uses a colloquial phrase almost like a mathematical function.

— Sam Corbin, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Years later in an interview with NPR, Díaz discussed his efforts to blend formal Dominican Spanish, colloquial Spanish, pop culture references, and everyday American speech into his narrative.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of colloquial

Adjective

On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Undaunted, the couple embarked on a renovation, working with a local builder and an architect who understood the rustic vernacular architecture associated with Glacier National Park.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of vernacular

Browse Nearby Words

unlit

unliterary

unlivable

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“Unliterary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unliterary. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unliterary

adjective

Example Sentences

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