Literature

n.	1.	Learning; acquaintance with letters or books.
	2.	The collective body of literary productions, embracing the entire results of knowledge and fancy preserved in writing; also, the whole body of literary productions or writings upon a given subject, or in reference to a particular science or branch of knowledge, or of a given country or period; as, the literature of Biblical criticism; the literature of chemistry.
	3.	The class of writings distinguished for beauty of style or expression, as poetry, essays, or history, in distinction from scientific treatises and works which contain positive knowledge; belles-lettres.
	4.	The occupation, profession, or business of doing literary work. The origin of all positive science and philosophy, as well as of all literature and art, in the forms in which they exist in civilized Europe, must be traced to the Greeks. - Sir G. C. Lewis. Learning thy talent is, but mine is sense. - Prior. Some gentlemen, abounding in their university erudition, fill their sermons with philosophical terms. - Swift.

Noun	1.	literature - creative writing of recognized artistic value
	2.	literature - the humanistic study of a body of literature; "he took a course in Russian lit" Synonyms: lit
	3.	literature - published writings in a particular style on a particular subject; "the technical literature"; "one aspect of Waterloo has not yet been treated in the literature"
	4.	literature - the profession or art of a writer; "her place in literature is secure"

literature - The literature. Computer-science journals and other publications, vaguely gestured at to answer a question that the speaker believes is trivial. Thus, one might answer an annoying question by saying "It's in the literature." Oppose Knuth, which has no connotation of triviality.

French literature, Renaissance literature, ancient literature, article, autograph, belles lettres, belles-lettres, bibliography, body of knowledge, body of learning, brainchild, brochures, circulars, classics, composition, computer printout, contemporary literature, copy, cyclopedia, data, document, draft, edited version, encyclopedia, engrossment, erotic literature, erotica, essay, facts, fair copy, fiction, final draft, finished version, first draft, flimsy, folk literature, holograph, humane letters, information, kitsch, leaflets, letter, letters, literae scriptae, literary artefact, literary production, lore, lucubration, manuscript, materials, matter, medieval literature, national literature, nonfiction, obscene literature, opus, original, pamphlets, paper, parchment, penscript, piece, piece of writing, play, poem, polite literature, pop literature, popular literature, pornographic literature, pornography, printed matter, printout, production, propaganda, pseudonymous literature, publications, publicity, reading matter, recension, republic of letters, scatological literature, screed, scrip, script, scrive, scroll, second draft, serious literature, store of knowledge, system of knowledge, the written word, transcript, transcription, travel literature, treasury of information, typescript, underground literature, version, wisdom literature, work, writing

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