Definitions for literature
ˈlɪt ər ə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər, ˈlɪ trə-lit·er·a·ture

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.7 / 20 votes

1. literaturenoun

   creative writing of recognized artistic value

2. literature, litnoun

   the humanistic study of a body of literature

   "he took a course in Russian lit"

3. literaturenoun

   published writings in a particular style on a particular subject

   "the technical literature"; "one aspect of Waterloo has not yet been treated in the literature"

4. literaturenoun

   the profession or art of a writer

   "her place in literature is secure"

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.3 / 9 votes

1. literaturenoun

   The body of all written works.

2. literaturenoun

   The collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture.

3. literaturenoun

   All the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject.

4. literaturenoun

   Written fiction of a high standard.

   SF is rarely literature because the characters are so poorly realised. - Adam Cadre

5. Etymology: From literatura or litteratura.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Literaturenoun

   Learning; skill in letters.

   Etymology: literatura, Latin.

   This kingdom hath been famous for good literature; and if preferment attend deservers, there will not want supplies. Francis Bacon, Advice to Villiers.

   When men of learning are acted by a knowledge of the world, they give a reputation to literature, and convince the world of its usefulness. Joseph Addison, Freeholder, №. 377.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Literature

   Literature broadly is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include oral literature, much of which has been transcribed. Literature is a method of recording, preserving, and transmitting knowledge and entertainment, and can also have a social, psychological, spiritual, or political role. Literature, as an art form, can also include works in various non-fiction genres, such as biography, diaries, memoir, letters, and the essay. Within its broad definition, literature includes non-fictional books, articles or other printed information on a particular subject.Etymologically, the term derives from Latin literatura/litteratura "learning, a writing, grammar," originally "writing formed with letters," from litera/littera "letter". In spite of this, the term has also been applied to spoken or sung texts. Developments in print technology have allowed an ever-growing distribution and proliferation of written works, which now includes electronic literature. Literature is classified according to whether it is poetry, prose or drama, and such works are categorized according to historical periods, or their adherence to certain aesthetic features, or genre.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. literature

   Literature can be defined as written works, including fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction, that are considered to possess artistic or intellectual merit and are intended to be read and appreciated for their literary qualities. It encompasses various forms of storytelling and expression, often reflecting the cultural, social, historical, and individual experiences and perspectives of the authors. Literature is typically characterized by its creative use of language, narrative structure, symbolism, and thematic exploration, and it has the power to entertain, educate, inspire, and provoke thought and reflection.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.8 / 8 votes

1. Literaturenoun

   learning; acquaintance with letters or books

2. Literaturenoun

   the collective body of literary productions, embracing the entire results of knowledge and fancy preserved in writing; also, the whole body of literary productions or writings upon a given subject, or in reference to a particular science or branch of knowledge, or of a given country or period; as, the literature of Biblical criticism; the literature of chemistry

3. Literaturenoun

   the class of writings distinguished for beauty of style or expression, as poetry, essays, or history, in distinction from scientific treatises and works which contain positive knowledge; belles-lettres

4. Literaturenoun

   the occupation, profession, or business of doing literary work

WikidataRate this definition:3.7 / 19 votes

1. Literature

   Literature is the art of written work and can, in some circumstances, refer exclusively to published sources. The word literature literally means "things made from letters" and the pars pro toto term "letters" is sometimes used to signify "literature," as in the figures of speech "arts and letters" and "man of letters." Literature is commonly classified as having two major forms—fiction & non-fiction—and two major techniques—poetry and prose. Literature may consist of texts based on factual information, as well as on original imagination, such as polemical works as well as autobiography, and reflective essays as well as belles-lettres. Literature can be classified according to historical periods, genres, and political influences. The concept of genre, which earlier was limited, has broadened over the centuries. A genre consists of artistic works which fall within a certain central theme, and examples of genre include romance, mystery, crime, fantasy, erotica, and adventure, among others. Important historical periods in English literature include Old English, Middle English, the Renaissance, the 17th Century Shakespearean and Elizabethan times, the 18th Century Restoration, 19th Century Victorian, and 20th Century Modernism. Important intellectual movements that have influenced the study of literature include feminism, post-colonialism, psychoanalysis, post-structuralism, post-modernism, romanticism, and Marxism.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:4.5 / 4 votes

1. Literature

   lit′ėr-a-tūr, n. the science of letters or what is written: the whole body of literary compositions in any language, or on a given subject: all literary productions except those relating to positive science and art, usually confined, however, to the belles-lettres.—adj. Lit′eratured (Shak.), learned, having literary knowledge.—Light literature, books which can be read and understood without mental exertion: fiction; Polite literature, belles-lettres. [Fr.,—L. literatura—litera, a letter.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:3.7 / 6 votes

1. Literature

   defined by Carlyle "as an 'apocalypse of nature,' a revealing of the 'open secret,' a 'continuous revelation' of the God-like in the terrestrial and common, which ever endures there, and is brought out now in this dialect, now in that, with various degrees of clearness ... there being touches of it (i. e. the God-like) in the dark stormful indignation of a Byron, nay, in the withered mockery of a French sceptic, his mockery of the false, a love and worship of the true ... how much more in the sphere harmony of a Shakespeare, the cathedral music of a Milton; something of it too in those humble, genuine, lark-notes of a Burns, skylark starting from the humble furrow far overhead into the blue depths, and singing to us so genuinely there."

The Roycroft DictionaryRate this definition:2.5 / 6 votes

1. literature

   The art of saying a thing by saying something else just as good.

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:3.3 / 6 votes

1. Literature

   Writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest. The body of written works produced in a particular language, country, or age. (Webster, 3d ed)

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. literatureverb

   Language in core translation of a literal person or particular thing having territory expressing the object of a look, gesture, thought, action, or plan to process a result for the collective. 1.) written works considered ofsl superior or lasting artistic merit. Books and writings published on a particular subject.

   I will and shall be a student of literature as long as I live in the flesh.

   Etymology: Documentation

   
   

   Submitted by Tehorah_Elyon on April 10, 2024  

Matched Categories

1. • Literary Study
   • Literature
   • Profession
   • Writing

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'literature' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1951

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'literature' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4389

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'literature' in Nouns Frequency: #886

Anagrams for literature »

1. literateur

2. literatuer

How to pronounce literature?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say literature in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of literature in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of literature in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of literature in a Sentence

1. Evgeny Chuvilin:

   Permafrost degradation is a slow process. We're usually talking about centimeters per year. This here is more than merely degradation, it's also a qualitative change. So, I would say that yes, it is unexpected to see, hypotheses had been voiced in the literature concerning the possibility of such processes, but this is the first time they have been directly observed.

2. Margaret Fuller:

   It does not follow because many books are written by persons born in America that there exists an American literature. Books which imitate or represent the thoughts and life of Europe do not constitute an American literature. Before such can exist, an original idea must animate this nation and fresh currents of life must call into life fresh thoughts along the shore.

3. Nikole Hannah-Jones:

   When the governor or the candidate said that he didn't think parents should be deciding what's being taught in school, he was panned for that, but that's just the fact. This is why we send our children to school and don't home school, because these are the professional educators who have the expertise to teach social studies, to teach history, to teach science, to teach literature, and I think we should leave that to the educators. Yes, we should have some say but school is not about simply confirming our worldview. Schools should teach us to question they should teach us how to think, not what to think.

4. Donna Iula:

   If you think carfentanil is scary, there are actually compounds in the literature that are more potent, a lethal dose is not even visible to the eye.

5. Chrissie Hynde:

   I make a distinction between a memoir written about your breast implants and a memoir written hopefully as a piece of literature to survive forever.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=literature
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Literature
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=literature
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literature
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=literature
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=literature
9. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Literature
10. ^ The Roycroft Dictionary
    https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36566/36566-h/36566-h.htm#:~:text=literature