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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

literature en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • [ˈlɪɾ.ɚ.ə.t͡ʃɚ] (Canada, US)
  • /ˈlɪtɚ.t͡ʃɚ/ (Canada, US)
  • /ˈlɪt.ɚ.ə.t͡ʃɚ/ (Canada, US)
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈlɪ.tɹə.t͡ʃɚ/ (Canada, US)
  • /ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/ (UK)
  • [ˈlɪ.t͡ʃɹə.t͡ʃɚ] (Canada, US)
  • /ˈlɪt.ə.t͡ʃɚ/ (English, Midwestern-US)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂leyH-der. Old Latin leitera Latin līterader.? Proto-Hellenic *dipʰtʰérā? Ancient Greek διφθέρᾱ (diphthérā)bor. Etruscan [Term?]bor.? 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, literally "book + -craft", see Modern English bookcraft.

Meanings

  1. (uncountable, usually) The body of all written works.
  2. (uncountable, usually) The collected creative writing of a nation, people, group, or culture.
    • classical literature
    • There’s a vast body of scientific literature on the subject.
    • He’s studying English literature at university.
    • scientific literature
    • world literature
  3. (qualifier:usually preceded by the, uncountable, usually) All the papers, treatises, etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject.
    • The obvious question to ask at this point is: ‘Why posit the existence of a set of Thematic Relations (THEME, AGENT, INSTRUMENT, etc.) distinct from constituent structure relations?ʼ The answer given in the relevant literature is that a variety of linguistic phenomena can be accounted for in a more principled way in terms of Thematic Functions than in terms of constituent structure relations. 1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 7, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 373:
    • In fact, information on when each of the terms first appeared in English, and if obsolete, how long they persisted, is entirely absent from the literature. 2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide, page 3:
  4. (uncountable, usually) Written fiction of a high standard.
    • 2008, Adam Cadre However, even “literary” science fiction rarely qualifies as literature, because it treats characters as sets of traits rather than as fully realized human beings with unique life stories.
  5. (obsolete, uncountable, usually) Literacy; ability to read and write.
    • They all assumed to be mighty rakish and knowing, they were not very tidy in their private dresses, they were not at all orderly in their domestic arrangements, and the combined literature of the whole company would have produced but a poor letter on any subject. 1854, Charles Dickens, Hard Times: A Novel:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
literatures Number=Plur lexicographic
lit. alternative lexicographic
literatuer alternative lexicographic

Deriveds

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

Meronyms

transcript · brochure · essay · magazine · duodecimo · article · short story · almanac · softback · periodical · feuilleton · novel · By size and format · book · prose · write-up · broadsheet · guidebook · novella · quadragesimo-octavo · grimoire · dictionary · bestiary · gazetteer · work · chronicle · advertisement · annals · Necronomicon · quarto · letters · paperback · opinion piece · paper · hardback · tome · script · nonfiction · thesaurus · gazette · By book size · sexagesimo-quarto · poem · circular · concordance · octavo · treatise · fiction · lexicon · leaflet · polite literature · compendium · manifesto · newspaper · monograph · column · reader · booklet · manual · octodecimo · trigesimo-secundo · fairy tale · flyer · omnibus · pamphlet · sextodecimo · fable · anthology · encyclopedia · reference work · biography · editorial · folio · diary · vicesimo-quarto · journal · tabloid · directory · atlas · poetry · sexto · autobiography · hardcover · obituary · handbill · screenplay

Relateds

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

Synonyms

literature · literary fiction

Translations (216)

or ସାହିତ୍ୟ (body of all written works) · vo literat (body of all written works) · sw fasihi (body of all written works) · rm litteratura (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · hu irodalom (body of all written works) · kmr lîteratûr (body of all written works) · hi साहित्य (body of all written works) · hi साहित्य (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · ast lliteratura (body of all written works) · fi kirjallisuus (body of all written works) · id kesusasteraan (body of all written works) · th วรรณคดี (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · sh knjȉžēvnōst (body of all written works) · ba әҙәбиәт (body of all written works) · pl literatura (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · ja 文学 (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · nrf littéthatuthe (body of all written works) · ru слове́сность (body of all written works) · jv sastra (body of all written works) · kmr edebiyat (body of all written works) · io literaturo (body of all written works) · fi kirjallisuus (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · oc literatura (body of all written works) · be пісьме́нства (body of all written works) · id literatur (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · bg кни́жнина (body of all written works) · el λογοτεχνία (body of all written works) · mi mātāwaha (body of all written works) · kn ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ (body of all written works) · tl literatura (body of all written works) · be літарату́ра (body of all written works) · ga litríocht (body of all written works) · sv litteratur (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · pdt Schreft (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · gl literatura (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · ady литурэтурэ (body of all written works) · ur اَدَبِیات (body of all written works) · ru литерату́ра (body of all written works) · gl literatura (body of all written works) · lb Literatur (body of all written works) · km អក្សរសាស្ត្រ (body of all written works) · bg литература (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · fr littérature (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · cdo 文學 /文学 (body of all written works) · sh књи̏же̄вно̄ст (body of all written works) · ky адабият (body of all written works) · cmn 文獻 /文献 (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · ta இலக்கியம் (body of all written works) · ja 文献 (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · pt literatura (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · hu irodalom (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · gu સાહિત્ય (body of all written works) · sq literaturë (body of all written works) · tt әдәбият (body of all written works) · tg адаб (body of all written works) · yue 文學 /文学 (body of all written works) · sa साहित्य (body of all written works) · tl panitikan (body of all written works) · gd litreachas (body of all written works) · es literatura (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · te సాహిత్యం (body of all written works) · th วรรณกรรม (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · de Literatur (body of all written works) · mwl lhiteratura (body of all written works) · tg адабиёт (body of all written works) · id literatur (written fiction of high standard) · fa-ira اَدَبِیَّات (body of all written works) · an literatura (body of all written works) · nn litteratur (body of all written works) · ga litríocht (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · fr littérature (body of all written works) · ps ادب (body of all written works) · hi साहित्य (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · ja 文献 (body of all written works) · fy literatuer (body of all written works) · mr साहित्य (body of all written works) · nl literatuur (body of all written works) · dv އަދަބިއްޔާތު (body of all written works) · th วรรณกรรม (body of all written works) · mi mātātuhi (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · nds Literatur (body of all written works) · hy գրականություն (body of all written works) · et kirjandus (body of all written works) · el βιβλιογραφία (body of all written works) · mk литерату́ра (body of all written works) · wuu 文學 /文学 (body of all written works) · vi văn chương (body of all written works) · ba әҙәбиәт (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · br lennegezh (body of all written works) · sv litteratur (body of all written works) · fo bókmentir (body of all written works) · pt literatura (body of all written works) · it letteratura (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · sh literatúra (body of all written works) · fi kirjallisuus (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · rm litteratura (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · ca literatura (body of all written works) · dsb literatura (body of all written works) · rm litteratura (body of all written works) · bn সাহিত্য (body of all written works) · mk книжевност (body of all written works) · es literatura (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · af letterkunde (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · as সাহিত্য (body of all written works) · mi mātātuhi (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · pl literatura (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · si සාහිත්යය (body of all written works) · cmn 文學 /文学 (body of all written works) · kw lien (body of all written works) · is bókmenntir (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · af literatuur (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · lo ວັນນະຄະດີ (body of all written works) · bg литература (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · mi mātātuhi (body of all written works) · da litteratur (body of all written works) · tr yazın (body of all written works) · ur اَدَب (body of all written works) · la litterae (body of all written works) · nb litteratur (body of all written works) · sh књи̏же̄вно̄ст (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · uz adabiyot (body of all written works) · sd ادب (body of all written works) · ka ლიტერატურა (body of all written works) · ru литерату́ра (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · sco leiteratur (body of all written works) · et literatuur (body of all written works) · kbd литурэтурэ (body of all written works) · ms persuratan (body of all written works) · ang bōccræft (body of all written works) · sl literatura (body of all written works) · is bókmenntir (body of all written works) · pl literatura piękna (written fiction of high standard) · hak 文學 /文学 (body of all written works) · nan-hbl 文學 /文学 (body of all written works) · af literatuur (body of all written works) · rue літерату́ра (body of all written works) · dng вынщуә (body of all written works) · mi mātākōrero (body of all written works) · ko 문학 (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · mt letteratura (body of all written works) · es literatura (body of all written works) · scn littiratura (body of all written works) · sl književnost (body of all written works) · ur اَدَبِیَّات (body of all written works) · ur ساہِتْیَہ (body of all written works) · my စာပေ (body of all written works) · cs slovesnost (body of all written works) · ms sastera (body of all written works) · ba әҙәбиәт (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · cy llên (body of all written works) · fi kaunokirjallisuus (written fiction of high standard) · af letterkunde (body of all written works) · ml സാഹിത്യം (body of all written works) · pl literatura (body of all written works) · ia litteratura (body of all written works) · ro literatură (body of all written works) · cmn 文學 /文学 (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · kk әдебиет (body of all written works) · uk письме́нництво (body of all written works) · sv litteratur (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · uk літерату́ра (body of all written works) · eo literaturo (body of all written works) · za vwnzyoz (body of all written works) · hil panulat (body of all written works) · sh литерату́ра (body of all written works) · ps ادبپوهنه (body of all written works) · ar أَدَب (body of all written works) · pdt Schreft (body of all written works) · tr edebiyat (body of all written works) · ja 文学 (body of all written works) · lv literatūra (body of all written works) · fa-ira اَدَبِیات (body of all written works) · mn утга зохиол (body of all written works) · nrf littéthatuthe (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · ja 資料 (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · pa ਸਾਹਿਤ (body of all written works) · tr literatür (body of all written works) · ko 문학 (body of all written works) · ms kesusasteraan (body of all written works) · bg слове́сност (body of all written works) · tk edebiýat (body of all written works) · az ədəbiyyat (body of all written works) · csb lëteratura (body of all written works) · fa-ira اَدَب (body of all written works) · eu literatura (body of all written works) · ne साहित्य (body of all written works) · he סִפְרוּת (body of all written works) · cs písemnictví (body of all written works) · pt literatura (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · yi ליטעראַטור (body of all written works) · am ሥነ ጽሑፍ (body of all written works) · ko 문헌 (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · ky жазын (body of all written works) · vi văn học (body of all written works) · sh литерату́ра (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · th วรรณคดี (body of all written works) · uk письме́нство (body of all written works) · it letteratura (body of all written works) · li literatuur (body of all written works) · ug ئەدەبىيات (body of all written works) · af literatuur (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · hsb literatura (body of all written works) · hu szépirodalom (written fiction of high standard) · sk písomníctvo (body of all written works) · ga litríocht (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · sk slovesnosť (body of all written works) · sh knjȉžēvnōst (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · cs literatura (body of all written works) · lt literatūrà (body of all written works) · ar أَدَبِيَّات (body of all written works) · gl literatura (the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture) · sk literatúra (body of all written works) · hu szakirodalom (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject) · bg литерату́ра (body of all written works) · sq letërsi (body of all written works) · sh literatúra (all the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject)