literature
Americannoun
-
literatures
plural
-
writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays.
-
the entire body of writings of a specific language, period, people, etc..
the literature of England.
-
the writings dealing with a particular subject.
the literature of ornithology.
-
the profession of a writer or author.
-
literary work or production.
-
any kind of printed material, as circulars, leaflets, or handbills.
literature describing company products.
-
Archaic. polite learning; literary culture; appreciation of letters and books.
noun
-
written material such as poetry, novels, essays, etc, esp works of imagination characterized by excellence of style and expression and by themes of general or enduring interest
-
the body of written work of a particular culture or people
Scandinavian literature
-
written or printed matter of a particular type or on a particular subject
scientific literature
the literature of the violin
-
printed material giving a particular type of information
sales literature
-
the art or profession of a writer
-
obsolete learning
Usage
What is literature? Literature is writing that uses artistic expression and form and is considered to have merit or be important. As an artistic term, literature refers to written works, such as novels, short stories, biographies, memories, essays, and poetry. However, songs, movies, TV shows, video games, and paintings are typically not considered to be literature because the final output is not text. At the same time, literature is usually thought to only include works of art. Informative works like newspapers, scientific journals, religious texts, press releases, and spreadsheets are generally not considered to be literature. Yet in scientific study, especially anthropology or history, the word literature is used more broadly to describe everything that a specific society or group has ever written. For example, a researcher may be studying “Persian literature,” which would include even mundane, non-artistic pieces of writing that was created by a citizen of the Persian empire, such as lists of food supplies.
Synonym Usage
Literature, belles-lettres, letters refer to artistic writings worthy of being remembered. In the broadest sense, literature includes any type of writings on any subject: the literature of medicine; usually, however, it means the body of artistic writings of a country or period that are characterized by beauty of expression and form and by universality of intellectual and emotional appeal: English literature of the 16th century. Belles-lettres is a more specific term for writings of a light, elegant, or excessively refined character: His talent is not for scholarship but for belles-lettres. Letters (rare today outside of certain fixed phrases) refers to literature as a domain of study or creation: a man of letters.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of literature
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English litterature, from Latin litterātūra “grammar;” see origin at literate, -ure
Explanation
Literature is writing, usually good, creative, or smart writing, or at least we hope it is. If you love books and have stacks of them at home, then you are a lover of literature. Literature comes from the Latin root litterātūra, or lettered, but there are higher standards for literature than just something written down. Novels and stories are considered literature. If you're a practicing psychologist, you have keep up with the current literature on psychology, which is what researching psychologists write, not novels about shrinks. You might want your profession to be literature, but you'll probably have to teach literature while you're waiting for the book deal.
Vocabulary lists containing literature
St. Patrick's Day Vocabulary: Words With Irish and Gaelic Roots
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
National Librarian Day
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
It’s a shame that the infighting over “Make Believe” distracts from the merits of a book that is, in all respects, a tribute to the possibilities and promise of children’s literature.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
From the earliest days of photography, artists have staged tableaux for the camera, often using painting and literature as inspiration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
It was the 1970s and Latin American literature was being read around the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
She added to the informant on an encrypted messaging app that she had "picked up some anarchist literature at the social justice center" which "could have some good tips."
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
And unless for some reason you had started a discussion with her about literature or mathematics, you would never have known the extent of her brain-power.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
Mr. Morson, a professor of Slavic languages and literatures at Northwestern University, is the author of “Wonder Confronts Certainty: Russian Writers on the Timeless Questions and Why Their Answers Matter.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025
He has a doctorate in Hispanic languages and literatures from UC Berkeley and a master of fine arts in poetry from UC Davis, where he is a professor in the department of Chicana/Chicano studies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2022
The book got me thinking about Homer and his connection to the Irish bards, and then to the oral literatures of the Americas and spoken poetry today, how each builds on what came before.
From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2021
Many early pages chronicle the poet’s youthful Wanderjahre in Europe, but almost nothing is said about his 25 years as a Harvard professor of European languages and literatures.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 2, 2020
Rise and fall—this was the doctor’s business, and it was literatures too.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
