Phrase guide

literary language

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A register of a language that is used in literary writing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: literature, media, publishing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A language variety used as an institutional norm in a community, opposed to vernacular dialects; a standard language.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences, social-science, sociolinguistics, sociology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

34 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: ədəbi dil — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Belarusian: літаратурная мова (litaraturnaja móva) — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Finnish: kirjakieli — register of a language used in literary writing
  • French: langue littéraire — register of a language used in literary writing
  • German: Literatursprache — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Hungarian: irodalmi nyelv — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Ingrian: kirjakeeli — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Japanese: 書き言葉 (kakikotoba) — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Kalmyk: зокъялын келн (zokʺyalyn keln) — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Polish: język literacki — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Romanian: limbă literară — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Serbo-Croatian: literarni jezik — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Serbo-Croatian: književni jezik — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Slovene: literarni jezik — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Slovene: knjižni jezik — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Slovene: leposlovni jezik — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Tagalog: wikang pampanitikan — register of a language used in literary writing
  • Albanian: gjuhë letrare — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Azerbaijani: ədəbi dil — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Belarusian: літаратурная мова (litaraturnaja móva) — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Bulgarian: литературен език (literaturen ezik) — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Bulgarian: книжовен език (knižoven ezik) — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • German: Literatursprache — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Kazakh: әдеби тіл (ädebi tıl) — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Latvian: literārā valoda — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Lithuanian: literatūrinė kalba — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Macedonian: литературен јазик (literaturen jazik) — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Polish: język literacki — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Russian: литерату́рный язы́к (literatúrnyj jazýk) — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Serbo-Croatian: književni jezik — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Slovene: knjižni jezik — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Udmurt: книгакыл (kńigakyl) — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Udmurt: литературной кыл (ľiťeraturnoj kyl) — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard
  • Ukrainian: літературна мова (literaturna mova) — supraregional idiom — see also standard language, standard