literati
Americanplural noun
singular
literatus-
people engaged in literary pursuits, especially professional writers.
The lounge at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City was a well-known haunt of the literati during the 1920s.
-
learned people and scholars considered as a class.
university literati in their ivory tower.
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of literati
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin līterāti, litterāti “learned, liberally educated people,” noun use of plural of līterātus, litterātus; literate
Explanation
If you're educated and love books, you can describe yourself as being a member of the literati. The literati is a highly intelligent group of bookish people. The literati is a somewhat glamorous group, known for being very smart and well-read. You could include famous authors, editors, poets, critics, and scholars of literature among the collective group known as the literati. The word is the plural form of the Latin literatus, which means "lettered or educated," or literally "one who knows letters." Related words in English include letter and literate.
Vocabulary lists containing literati
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.
This makes for puckish satire of the literati and its highly cultured brand of condescension; at times the movie feels like a South American spin on a Noah Baumbach film.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026
In the world of literature, for example, authors who are “othered” outside of the elite literati typically are boxed into othering themselves just to parlay their creativity into a career.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 24, 2023
Alert the literati — Susan Sontag is getting a biopic and Kristen Stewart is set to play the late writer-provocateur.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2023
The subjects included poor children, literati, movie stars and more, captured with an engaged and searching eye.
From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2022
He supped at half-past nine with his favorite literati, and at twelve the king went to bed.—Communication from David Vedder, in the Glasgow Citizen.
From The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 4, November 1, 1851 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
