literature

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

The body of all written works.
The collected creative writing of a nation, people, group, or culture.
All the papers, treatises, etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject.
Written fiction of a high standard.
Literacy; ability to read and write.

Pronunciation

/ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/ /ˈlɪt.ɚ.ə.t͡ʃɚ/ [ˈlɪɾ.ɚ.ə.t͡ʃɚ] /ˈlɪ.tɹə.t͡ʃɚ/ [ˈlɪ.t͡ʃɹə.t͡ʃɚ] /ˈlɪtɚ.t͡ʃɚ/ en-us-literature.ogg /ˈlɪt.ə.t͡ʃɚ/ /lɪʈ(ə)ˈretʃə(r)/

Word forms

literature literatures lit. literatuer

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin littera Proto-Indo-European *-tew-? Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂? Latin -tūra Latin litterātūrader. Old French littératurebor. Middle English literature English literature From Middle English literature, from Old French littérature, from Latin literatura or litteratura, from littera (“letter”), from Etruscan, from Ancient Greek διφθέρᾱ (diphthérā, “tablet”). Displaced native Old English bōccræft.

Synonyms

literature literary fiction

Related words

letter literal literacy literate literary title subtitle abstract part chapter section subsection preface prologue epilogue footnote sidenote heading body text paragraph verse bibliography canto

Derived words

antiliterature Clementine literature comparative literature cyberliterature DDLC e-literature escape literature found literature global literature gray literature grey literature hyperliterature illiterature literatize literatured literature review literature search literaturology literotica loiterature medieval literature metaliterature microliterature nonliterature obliterature orature paraliterature polite literature preliterature secondary literature speculum-literature speculum literature subliterature Twitterature world literature

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