comparative literature

American  

noun

1. the study of the literatures of two or more groups differing in cultural background and, usually, in language, concentrating on their relationships to and influences upon each other.

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Example Sentences

When I graduated from UC–Berkeley with my “useless” comparative literature degree, into one of the bleakest job markets in recent American memory, I thought to myself, There must be a loophole somewhere.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

In his shrewd 2022 study, “Seduced by Story,” Peter Brooks, a professor emeritus of comparative literature at Yale, described the “narrative takeover” of contemporary life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

In the 1970s, he taught English and comparative literature at his alma mater, Columbia University.

From New York Times • May 10, 2024

“It’s a complete disaster,” said Viet Thanh Nguyen, a bestselling novelist and university professor of English, American studies and ethnicity and comparative literature who has taught at USC for 27 years.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2024

Hence the poetry of the troubadours is a subject of first-rate importance to the student of comparative literature.

From The Troubadours by Chaytor, H.J.