belles-lettres
[ French bel-le-truh ]
/ French bɛlˈlɛ trə /
plural noun
literature regarded as a fine art, especially as having a purely aesthetic function.
light and elegant literature, especially that which is excessively refined, characterized by aestheticism, and minor in subject, substance, or scope.
RELATED WORDS
essay, drama, story, novel, prose, information, poetry, research, leaflet, pamphlet, lore, brochure, article, composition, biography, history, poem, literature, piece, publication
Nearby words
belleek, belleek ware, bellefontaine, bellefontaine neighbors, bellerophon, belles-lettres, belletrist, belleville, belleville spring, bellevue, bellflower
Related forms
bel·let·rist [bel-le-trist] /bɛlˈlɛ trɪst/, nounbel·let·ris·tic [bel-li-tris-tik] /ˌbɛl lɪˈtrɪs tɪk/, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for belles-lettres
British Dictionary definitions for belles-lettres
belles-lettres
/ (French bɛllɛtrə) /
noun
(functioning as singular) literary works, esp essays and poetry, valued for their aesthetic rather than their informative or moral content
Word Origin for belles-lettres
C17: from French: fine letters
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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