belles-lettres
plural noun
literature regarded as a fine art, especially as having a purely aesthetic function.
belletristic
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a word derived from
belles-lettres.
-
a word derived from
belletrist.
belletristnouna writer of belles-lettres
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Rose’s dinners are like the great belletristic salons of Paris,” he said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 12, 2023
Professor Davison’s belletristic debut was as improbable as his academic baptism.
From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2022
She stands at a kind of belletristic Sinai, alongside all the other literary generations.
From New York Times ● Jun. 23, 2016
Just as telling is the inclusion of harmless belletristic exercises from artists otherwise known for their pugilistic talents.
From The New Yorker ● May 13, 2016
Somehow or other he fell into the most richly amusing post that a belletristic journalist ever adorned, as general factotum of The Fishing Gazette, a trade journal.
From Mince Pie by Christopher Morley
