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# literature

«literature» in Mova's school dictionary: **Written works such as novels, poems and plays, especially…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (literature — uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Written works such as novels, poems and plays, especially ones thought to be good or important. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#m1)

2) The study of these works as a school or university subject. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#m2)

3) All the writing about a particular subject, such as science papers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#m3)

4) (informal) Printed information such as leaflets and booklets: free literature about the museum. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In school, English literature lessons study stories, poems and plays and what they mean. In science and research, «the literature» means everything already published on a topic. In everyday life, «literature» can just mean leaflets. Phrases: English literature, children's literature, a work of literature, the literature on something.

### examples

- We are reading poems in literature class. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#x1)
- Shakespeare is a famous name in English literature. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#x2)
- Children's literature includes picture books and novels. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#x3)
- The museum gives out free literature at the door. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#x4)
- My sister wants to study literature at university. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#x5)
- The scientist read all the literature on frogs before her experiment. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#x6)
- Fairy tales are some of the oldest literature in the world. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#x7)
- Good literature makes you think and feel. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/#x8)

### note

Uncountable: say «a lot of literature» or «a work of literature», not «a literature» (except about a nation's writing: «Irish literature»). Spelling: litERATure, with -ture at the end. Adjective: literary. Do not confuse with «literal» (exact meaning) or «literacy» (being able to read and write).

### In the corpora

- [In 1907 he became the first English-language writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/97-justso-butterfly-2-the-butterfly-stamps-and-the-book-ends/35/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «literature» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/literature/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.