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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Literature \Lit"er*a*ture\ (l[i^]t"[~e]r*[.a]*t[-u]r; 135), n.
[F. litt['e]rature, L. litteratura, literatura, learning,
grammar, writing, fr. littera, litera, letter. See {Letter}.]
1. Learning; acquaintance with letters or books.
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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.
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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.
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4. The occupation, profession, or business of doing literary
work. --Lamb.

Syn: Science; learning; erudition; belles-lettres.

Usage: See {Science}. -- {Literature}, {Learning},
{Erudition}. Literature, in its widest sense, embraces
all compositions in writing or print which preserve
the results of observation, thought, or fancy; but
those upon the positive sciences (mathematics, etc.)
are usually excluded. It is often confined, however,
to belles-lettres, or works of taste and sentiment, as
poetry, eloquence, history, etc., excluding abstract
discussions and mere erudition. A man of literature
(in this narrowest sense) is one who is versed in
belles-lettres; a man of learning excels in what is
taught in the schools, and has a wide extent of
knowledge, especially, in respect to the past; a man
of erudition is one who is skilled in the more
recondite branches of learned inquiry.
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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.
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Learning thy talent is, but mine is sense.
--Prior.
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Some gentlemen, abounding in their university
erudition, fill their sermons with philosophical
terms. --Swift.
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