literature

[lit-er-uh-cher, -choor, li-truh-]

noun

1. 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.

2. the entire body of writings of a specific language, period, people, etc..

   the literature of England.

3. the writings dealing with a particular subject.

   the literature of ornithology.

4. the profession of a writer or author.

5. literary work or production.

6. any kind of printed material, as circulars, leaflets, or handbills.

   literature describing company products.

7. Archaic.,  polite learning; literary culture; appreciation of letters and books.

literature

/ ˈlɪtərɪtʃə, ˈlɪtrɪ- /

noun

1. 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

2. the body of written work of a particular culture or people

   Scandinavian literature

3. written or printed matter of a particular type or on a particular subject

   scientific literature

   the literature of the violin

4. printed material giving a particular type of information

   sales literature

5. the art or profession of a writer

6. obsolete,  learning

Other Word Forms

• preliterature noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of literature¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English litterature, from Latin litterātūra “grammar;” literate, -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of literature¹

C14: from Latin litterātūra writing; see _letter

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

She then officially opened the festival, delivering a speech before a panel discussion on the importance of reading and studying literature.

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As much as anything else, it was Updike’s willingness to take America to his bosom—what he found lacking in Lewis—that guarantees his permanent place in this country’s literature.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He got a full scholarship to study English literature at the College of New Jersey.

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Esau never went to school but in 2023 was awarded an honorary doctorate in literature from the University of Cape Town for her efforts to save N|uu.

Read more on Barron's

He would go on to win, ludicrously, a Nobel Prize for literature.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• article 
• biography 
• brochure 
• composition 
• drama 
• essay 
• history 
• information 
• leaflet 
• lore 
• novel 
• pamphlet 
• poetry 
• prose 
• research 
• story 

When To Use

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.