Relating to or fond of reading and studying books; literary or scholarly. Her bookish nature made her the perfect candidate for the library job.
Characterized by a lack of practical experience or worldly knowledge; overly academic. His bookish approach to the problem didn't account for the real-world challenges we faced.
Of language, tone, or style: stiffly literary or overly formal; reminiscent of written rather than spoken usage. The memo sounded too bookish for a casual workplace announcement.