literature

lit·er·a·ture

noun \ˈli-tə-rə-ˌchu̇r, ˈli-trə-ˌchu̇r, ˈli-tə(r)-ˌchu̇r, -chər, -ˌtyu̇r, -ˌtu̇r\

Definition of LITERATURE

1

archaic : literary culture

2

: the production of literary work especially as an occupation

3

a (1) : writings in prose or verse; especially : writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest (2) : an example of such writings <what came out, though rarely literature, was always a roaring good story — People>

b : the body of written works produced in a particular language, country, or age

c : the body of writings on a particular subject <scientific literature>

d : printed matter (as leaflets or circulars) <campaign literature>

4

: the aggregate of a usually specified type of musical compositions

Examples of LITERATURE

1. She took courses in history and literature.
2. Her education gave her an appreciation for great literature.
3. He's an expert in American literature.
4. the literature of the Renaissance
5. studies in different Asian literatures
6. Can you send me some literature about your product?

Origin of LITERATURE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin litteratura writing, grammar, learning, from litteratus

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

Rhymes with LITERATURE

candidature, caricature, discomfiture, distemperature, divestiture, entablature, entrepreneur, expenditure, imprimatur, investiture, miniature, musculature, nomenclature, non sequitur