noun
literature
LIT-ruh-chur/ˈlɪtrətʃər/
A body of written works circulated for readers.
The stack of poetry, drama, and prose offers a varied selection of literature.
Etymology
The Latin noun originally described writing formed with letters. English first used it for book-learning, then shifted from learning through books to the body of writings itself.
In context
We often hear that studying literature involves finding a deeper meaning to a text. When writing about literary works, we're expected to mentally dive below the surface in order to come back up with big ideas.
More examples
- The course explores how war shapes American literature.
- She reviews the scientific literature before designing her study.
- The clinic provides literature about nutrition and preventive care.
Forms
literature · literatures
literary adjective — Relating to literature or artistic writing.
Similar words
- writing
- Writing also names the activity, not just its collected results.
- publications
- Publications emphasizes separately issued works rather than a collective body.