literature
noun
lit·er·a·ture
ˈli-tə-rə-ˌchu̇r 
ˈli-trə-ˌchu̇r,
ˈli-tər-ˌchu̇r,
ˈli-tə-,
-chər,
-ˌtyu̇r
-ˌtu̇r
1
a(1)
: writings in prose or verse
especially
: writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest
Literature stands related to Man as Science stands to Nature … —
J. H. Newman
J. H. Newman
(2)
: an example of such writings
What came out, though rarely literature, was always a roaring good story.—People
People
b
: the body of writings on a particular subject
scientific literature
c
: the body of written works produced in a particular language, country, or age
French literature
Renaissance literature
d
: printed matter (such as leaflets or circulars)
campaign literature
2
: the production of literary work especially as an occupation
Literature is his profession.
3
: the aggregate of a usually specified type of musical compositions
the Brahms piano literature
4
archaic
: literary culture
Examples of literature in a Sentence
She took courses in history and literature.
Her education gave her an appreciation for great literature.
He's an expert in American literature.
the literature of the Renaissance
studies in different Asian literatures
Can you send me some literature about your product?
Recent Examples on the Web
Romantasy is currently one of the biggest and most popular genres in all of literature.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
There was experimental literature in which the role of the author could be tweaked; in popular fiction, authorship could be a flexible concept.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
In celebration of the slow burn of spring finally arriving, here are some of my favorite in literature—from Regency romance to magical realism.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The three-year-old startup, which is valued at $10 billion, recruits experts in fields ranging from medicine to law to literature, to help provide data that improves the capabilities of AI models.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literature
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
There was experimental literature in which the role of the author could be tweaked; in popular fiction, authorship could be a flexible concept.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
In celebration of the slow burn of spring finally arriving, here are some of my favorite in literature—from Regency romance to magical realism.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The three-year-old startup, which is valued at $10 billion, recruits experts in fields ranging from medicine to law to literature, to help provide data that improves the capabilities of AI models.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for literature
Cite this Entry
“Literature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literature. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
literature
noun
lit·er·a·ture
ˈlit-ə-rə-ˌchu̇(ə)r
ˈli-trə-
ˈli-trə-
-chər
1
: written works having excellence of form or expression and ideas of lasting and widespread interest
2
: written material (as of a period or on a subject)
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