Meaning & use
literary merit
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Meanings
phraseuncountable
the quality of being good as writing, judged by style, depth, and artistic value rather than by popularity or sales.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun phrase: 'a work of literary merit,' not 'a literary merit.'
Patterns
- of literary merit
- have literary merit
- lack literary merit
The judges chose the novel for its literary merit, not because it was a bestseller.
Critics disagreed about whether the crime story had any real literary merit.
Her essays are admired for their literary merit and clear, elegant style.
phraseuncountable
a standard used to decide whether a book or poem deserves serious study or an award.
Grammar: Often appears after 'judge on' or 'judge by' when describing how works are compared.
Patterns
- judge something on literary merit
- judge something by literary merit
- a question of literary merit
The committee judges entries on literary merit alone, so a famous name does not help.
Whether the diary should count as literature is a question of literary merit.
Teachers often debate literary merit when they add modern novels to the reading list.
Common combinations
- of literary merit
- The library keeps only novels of literary merit in this special collection.
- have literary merit
- Even simple adventure stories can have literary merit if the writing is strong.
- lack literary merit
- Some reviewers said the memoir lacked literary merit but was still moving.
- judge something on literary merit
- The prize is judged on literary merit rather than on sales figures.
Synonyms and how they differ
- artistic value
- Broader, because it can describe painting, film, or music as well as writing.
- literary quality
- Very close in meaning, but 'quality' can also mean simple skill level, while 'merit' suggests real worth.
Commonly confused: literary merit or literacy?
literary merit vs literacy
Literacy means the ability to read and write; literary merit is about the artistic value of writing.
Practice
The award is given to novels of real ______, not to books that simply sell well.
Choose one answer.
'Literary merit' fits because the sentence contrasts artistic value with sales. 'Literacy' means reading ability, 'literal meaning' is about words taken exactly, and a 'literary agent' is a person, so none fits the blank.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “literary merit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.