Nonliterary

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /nɒnˈlɪtəɹəɹi/

Definitions

1. Referring to expressions that do not follow established literary styles or genres Involving forms of communication that include non-factual or non-traditional elements Describing creative works that step outside the bounds of conventional literature
2. Not connected with literary art or the style used in written works
3. Related to types of expression or communication that do not belong to recognized literary categories

Etymology: Non- is a prefix inherited from Old English "nān" ("not one"), which was worn down over centuries into the simple negating "non-" that English now attaches to almost any word. Literary comes from Latin "litterarius," from "littera," meaning "letter," so the word literally means "not of letters." The compound is a plain, transparent formation: the prefix does nothing more than negate the adjective beside it. The surprise lies in the prefix's ancestry. A word that now sounds like a Latin borrowing is built from an English word meaning "not one," which is also the root of "none" and "nor." Modern English has since turned this humble Old English pronoun into a freely productive prefix, able to join with nearly any noun or adjective.

Synonyms: non-fictional, practical

Antonyms: literary