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Definition of literature

Examples of literature in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'literature.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin litteratura writing, grammar, learning, from litteratus

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing literature

  • gray literature

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We know how the Nobel Prize committee defines literature, but how does the dictionary?

Dictionary Entries Near literature

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Cite this Entry

“Literature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literature. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of literature, more from merriam-webster on literature.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about literature

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Definition of literature noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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  • 2 literature (on something) pieces of writing or printed information on a particular subject I've read all the available literature on keeping rabbits. sales literature
  • write/publish literature/poetry/fiction/a book/a story/a poem/a novel/a review/an autobiography
  • become a writer/novelist/playwright
  • find/have a publisher/an agent
  • have a new book out
  • edit/revise/proofread a book/text/manuscript
  • dedicate a book/poem to…
  • construct/create/weave/weave something into a complex narrative
  • advance/drive the plot
  • introduce/present the protagonist/a character
  • describe/depict/portray a character (as…)/(somebody as) a hero/villain
  • create an exciting/a tense atmosphere
  • build/heighten the suspense/tension
  • evoke/capture the pathos of the situation
  • convey emotion/an idea/an impression/a sense of…
  • engage the reader
  • seize/capture/grip the (reader's) imagination
  • arouse/elicit emotion/sympathy (in the reader)
  • lack imagination/emotion/structure/rhythm
  • use/employ language/imagery/humor/an image/a symbol/a metaphor/a device
  • use/adopt/develop a style/technique
  • be rich in/be full of symbolism
  • evoke images of…/a sense of…/a feeling of…
  • create/achieve an effect
  • maintain/lighten the tone
  • introduce/develop an idea/a theme
  • inspire a novel/a poet/somebody's work/somebody's imagination
  • read an author/somebody's work/fiction/poetry/a text/an article/a poem/a novel/a chapter/a passage
  • review an article/a book/a novel/somebody's work
  • give something/get/have/receive a good/bad review
  • be hailed (as)/be recognized as a masterpiece
  • quote a phrase/a line/a stanza/a passage/an author
  • provoke/spark discussion/criticism
  • study/interpret/understand a text/passage
  • translate somebody's work/a text/a passage/a novel/a poem

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Cambridge Dictionary

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Meaning of literature – Learner’s Dictionary

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literature noun [U] ( BOOKS/POEMS )

  • the study of English literature
  • classical literature
  • I've got a BA in English literature from Liverpool University.
  • He's writing a book on Russian literature.
  • He's an expert on 20th century Japanese literature.

literature noun [U] ( INFORMATION )

(Definition of literature from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of literature

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Literary Terms

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This handout gives a rundown of some important terms and concepts used when talking and writing about literature.

Included below is a list of literary terms that can help you interpret, critique, and respond to a variety of different written works. This list is by no means comprehensive, but instead offers a primer to the language frequently used by scholars and students researching literary works. This list and the terms included in it can help you begin to identify central concerns or elements in a work that might help facilitate your interpretation, argumentation, and analysis. We encourage you to read this list alongside the other guides to literary interpretation included on the OWL Website. Please use the links on the left-hand side of this page to access other helpful resources.

  • Characterization : The ways individual characters are represented by the narrator or author of a text. This includes descriptions of the characters’ physical appearances, personalities, actions, interactions, and dialogue.
  • Dialogue : Spoken exchanges between characters in a dramatic or literary work, usually between two or more speakers.
  • Genre : A kind of literature. For instance, comedy, mystery, tragedy, satire, elegy, romance, and epic are all genres. Texts frequently draw elements from multiple genres to create dynamic narratives. Alastair Fowler uses the following elements to define genres: organizational features (chapters, acts, scenes, stanzas); length; mood (the Gothic novel tends to be moody and dark); style (a text can be high, low, or in-between depending on its audience); the reader’s role (readers of a mystery are expected to interpret evidence); and the author’s reason for writing (an epithalamion is a poem composed for marriage) (Mickics 132-3).
  • Imagery : A term used to describe an author’s use of vivid descriptions “that evoke sense-impressions by literal or figurative reference to perceptible or ‘concrete’ objects, scenes, actions, or states” (Baldick 121). Imagery can refer to the literal landscape or characters described in a narrative or the theoretical concepts an author employs.
  • Plot : The sequence of events that occur through a work to produce a coherent narrative or story.
  • Point of View: The perspective (visual, interpretive, bias, etc.) a text takes when presenting its plot and narrative. For instance, an author might write a narrative from a specific character’s point of view, which means that that character is our narrative and readers experience events through his or her eyes.
  • Style : Comprising an author’s diction, syntax, tone, characters, and other narrative techniques, “style” is used to describe the way an author uses language to convey his or her ideas and purpose in writing. An author’s style can also be associated to the genre or mode of writing the author adopts, such as in the case of a satire or elegy with would adopt a satirical or elegiac style of writing.
  • Symbol(ism): An object or element incorporated into a narrative to represent another concept or concern. Broadly, representing one thing with another. Symbols typically recur throughout a narrative and offer critical, though often overlooked, information about events, characters, and the author’s primary concerns in telling the story.
  • Theme : According to Baldick, a theme may be defined as “a salient abstract idea that emerges from a literary work’s treatment of its subject-matter; or a topic recurring in a number or literary works” (Baldick 258). Themes in literature tend to differ depending on author, time period, genre, style, purpose, etc.
  • Tone : A way of communicating information (in writing, images, or sound) that conveys an attitude. Authors convey tone through a combination of word-choice, imagery, perspective, style, and subject matter. By adopting a specific tone, authors can help readers accurately interpret meaning in a text.
  • First person : A story told from the perspective of one or several characters, each of whom typically uses the word “I.” This means that readers “see” or experience events in the story through the narrator’s eyes.
  • Second person : A narrative perspective that typically addresses that audience using “you.” This mode can help authors address readers and invest them in the story.
  • Third person : Describes a narrative told from the perspective of an outside figure who does not participate directly in the events of a story. This mode uses “he,” “she,” and “it” to describe events and characters.

Types of Prose Texts

  • Bildungsroman : This is typically a type of novel that depicts an individual’s coming-of-age through self-discovery and personal knowledge. Such stories often explore the protagonists’ psychological and moral development. Examples include Dickens’ Great Expectations and Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man .
  • Epistolary : A novel composed primarily of letters sent and received by its principal characters. This type of novel was particularly popular during the eighteenth century.
  • Essay : According to Baldick, “a short written composition in prose that discusses a subject or proposes an argument without claiming to be a complete or thorough exposition” (Baldick 87). A notable example of the essay form is Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” which uses satire to discuss eighteenth-century economic and social concerns in Ireland.
  • Novella : An intermediate-length (between a novel and a short story) fictional narrative.

Terms for Interpreting Authorial Voice

  • Apology : Often at the beginning or conclusion of a text, the term “apology” refers to an instance in which the author or narrator justifies his or her goals in producing the text.
  • Irony : Typically refers to saying one thing and meaning the opposite, often to shock audiences and emphasize the importance of the truth.
  • Satire : A style of writing that mocks, ridicules, or pokes fun at a person, belief, or group of people in order to challenge them. Often, texts employing satire use sarcasm, irony, or exaggeration to assert their perspective.
  • Stream of consciousness : A mode of writing in which the author traces his or her thoughts verbatim into the text. Typically, this style offers a representation of the author’s exact thoughts throughout the writing process and can be used to convey a variety of different emotions or as a form of pre-writing.

Terms for Interpreting Characters

  • Antagonist : A character in a text who the protagonist opposes. The antagonist is often (though not always) the villain of a story.
  • Anti-hero : A protagonist of a story who embodies none of the qualities typically assigned to traditional heroes and heroines. Not to be confused with the antagonist of a story, the anti-hero is a protagonist whose failings are typically used to humanize him or her and convey a message about the reality of human existence.
  • Archetype : “a resonant figure of mythic importance, whether a personality, place, or situation, found in diverse cultures and different historical periods” (Mickics 24). Archetypes differ from allegories because they tend to reference broader or commonplace (often termed “stock”) character types, plot points, and literary conventions. Paying attention to archetypes can help readers identify what an author may posit as “universal truths” about life, society, human interaction, etc. based on what other authors or participants in a culture may have said about them.
  • Epithet : According to Taafe, “An adjective, noun, or phase expressing some characteristic quality of a thing or person or a descriptive name applied to a person, as Richard the Lion-Hearted” (Taafe 58). An epithet usually indicates some notable quality about the individual with whom it addresses, but it can also be used ironically to emphasize qualities that individual might actually lack.
  • Personification : The artistic representation of a concept, quality, or idea in the form of a person. Personification can also refer to “a person who is considered a representative type of a particular quality or concept” (Taafe 120). Many classical deities are good examples of personifications. For instance, the Greek god Ares is a personification of war.
  • Protagonist : The primary character in a text, often positioned as “good” or the character with whom readers are expected to identify. Protagonists usually oppose an antagonist.

Terms for Interpreting Word Choice, Dialogue, and Speech

  • Alliteration : According to Baldick, “The repetition of the same sounds—usually initial consonants of words or of stressed syllabus—in any sequence of neighboring words” (Baldick 6). Alliteration is typically used to convey a specific tone or message.
  • Apostrophe : This figure of speech refers to an address to “a dead or absent person, or an abstraction or inanimate object” and is “usually employed for emotional emphasis, can become ridiculous [or humorous] when misapplied” (Baldick 17).
  • Diction : Word choice, or the specific language an author, narrator, or speaker uses to describe events and interact with other characters.

Terms for Interpreting Plot

  • Climax : The height of conflict and intrigue in a narrative. This is when events in the narrative and characters’ destinies are most unclear; the climax often appears as a decision the protagonist must make or a challenge he or she must overcome in order for the narrative to obtain resolution.
  • Denouement : The “falling action” of a narrative, when the climax and central conflicts are resolved and a resolution is found. In a play, this is typically the last act and in a novel it might include the final chapters.
  • Deus Ex Machina : According to Taafe, “Literally, in Latin, the ‘god from the machine’; a deity in Greek and Roman drama who was brought in by stage machinery to intervene in the action; hence, any character, event, or device suddenly introduced to resolve the conflict” (43).
  • Exposition : Usually located at the beginning of a text, this is a detailed discussion introducing characters, setting, background information, etc. readers might need to know in order to understand the text that follows. This section is particularly rich for analysis because it contains a lot of important information in a relatively small space.
  • Frame Narrative : a story that an author encloses around the central narrative in order to provide background information and context. This is typically referred to as a “story within a story” or a “tale within a tale.” Frame stories are usually located in a distinct place and time from the narratives they surround. Examples of stories with frame narratives include Canterbury Tales, Frankenstein , and Wuthering Heights .
  • In media res : Beginning in “the middle of things,” or when an author begins a text in the midst of action. This often functions as a way to both incorporate the reader directly into the narrative and secure his or her interest in the narrative that follows.

Terms for Interpreting Layers of Meaning

  • Allegory : A literary mode that attempts to convert abstract concepts, values, beliefs, or historical events into characters or other tangible elements in a narrative. Examples include, Gulliver’s Travels, The Faerie Queene, Pilgrim’s Progress, and Paradise Lost .
  • Allusion : When a text references, incorporates, or responds to an earlier piece (including literature, art, music, film, event, etc). T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land (1922) offers an extensive example of allusion in literature. According to Baldick, “The technique of allusion is an economical means of calling upon the history or the literary tradition that author and reader are assumed to share” (7).
  • Hyperbole : exaggerated language, description, or speech that is not meant to be taken literally, but is used for emphasis. For instance, “I’ve been waiting here for ages” or “This bag weighs a ton.”
  • Metaphor : a figure of speech that refers to one thing by another in order to identify similarities between the two (and therefore define each in relation to one another).
  • Note that metonymy differs subtly from synecdoche, which substitutes a part of something for the whole. For example, the phrase "all hands on deck" can substitute for the more awkward "all people on deck."
  • Parody : a narrative work or writing style that mocks or mimics another genre or work. Typically, parodies exaggerate and emphasize elements from the original work in order to ridicule, comment on, or criticize their message.
  • Simile : a figure of speech that compares two people, objects, elements, or concepts using “like” or “as.”

Works Cited

For more information or to read about other literary terms, please see the following texts:

Baldick, Chris. Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms . Oxford University Press, 2001.

Mikics, David. A New Handbook of Literary Terms . Yale University Press, 2007.

Taafe, James G. A Student’s Guide to Literary Term s. The World Publishing Company, 1967.

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The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms

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The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (3 ed.)  

Chris baldick.

“This dictionary’s virtues and its plain-spokenness make it ... as apt to the bedside table as to the desk: Dr Baldick is a Brewer for specialized tastes” - Times Literary Supplement

The best-selling Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (formerly the Concise dictionary) provides clear, concise, and often witty definitions of the most troublesome literary terms from abjection to zeugma. Now available in a new, fully updated and expanded edition, it offers readers increased coverage of new terms from modern critical and theoretical movements, such as feminism, and schools of American poetry, Spanish verse forms, life writing, and crime fiction.

It includes extensive coverage of traditional drama, versification, rhetoric, and literary history, as well as updated and extended advice on recommended further reading and a pronunciation guide to more than 200 terms. New to this fully revised edition are recommended entry-level web links. Boasting over 1,200 entries, it is an essential reference tool for students of literature in any language.

Bibliographic Information

Affiliations are at time of print publication..

Chris Baldick is Professor of English at Goldsmiths’ College, University of London. He has written widely on nineteenth-century literature and is the editor of The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales .

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Definition of 'literature'

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Literature in american english, examples of 'literature' in a sentence literature, cobuild collocations literature, trends of literature.

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  • Literary Terms

Literary terms refer to the technique, style, and formatting used by writers and speakers to masterfully emphasize, embellish, or strengthen their compositions. Literary terms can refer to playful techniques employed by comedians to make us laugh or witty tricks wordsmiths use to coin new words or phrases. They can also include the tools of persuasion that writers use to convince and drive audiences to action. With their carefully crafted speeches geared towards both logical and emotional thinking, they challenge our everyday modes of thinking.

Literary terms also include powerful figurative language that writers use to summon emotion ranging from guilt to anger to bliss, and to allow us to see the world in new and magical ways. Words can be arranged to give poems, songs, and prose alike, rhythm and musicality. They can animate a story with such wealth of detail, character development, and action that as readers, we are taken by a story, and feel as if the people on the page are real. Literary terms have a wide range of application, from the poet’s beauty, to the speaker’s persuasion, to the novelist’s story development.

The importance of Literary Terms

Literary terms are important in a wide variety of ways. They allow writers and speakers to make comments on society, politics, and trends. Rhetorical devices can be used to strengthen arguments which persuade and convince audiences. Poetic figurative language can summon emotions and visions of nature and the world in unique and compelling ways. Literary terms have the power to create serious, comedic, or whimsical moods via tools of persuasion, poeticism, and wordplay.

When to use Literary Terms

This depends. The variety of uses for literary terms spans across genres and is remarkably wide-ranging based on the goals or needs of the writer. Below we have categorized this vast subject.

1. Persuasion

One of the most difficult tasks in the world is making people change their minds. Most of us are stubborn in our thinking and stick to our guns when it comes to views on morality, politics, and our own personal lives. For a rhetorician or speechwriter, writing and speaking in a convincing and persuasive manner is a profession, one which utilizes numerous tools of the trade to appeal to an audience. The power of persuasion can gain voters for a politician, convince people to take action for a cause, or get you a raise at your job. With appeals to both pure logic and powerful emotion, persuasion is an art that has been employed for centuries.

The importance of Persuasion

Persuasion is an extremely powerful tool, as gaining the hearts and minds of an audience means gaining their support and action. Persuasion empowers the writer to change the mind of the audience and to compel the audience to take action in a certain way.

When to use Persuasion

Persuasive tools are utilized by politicians, professional speakers, speechwriters, journalists, and poetry and prose writers. Persuasion should be used when convincing others is the goal in mind. In a piece which is supposed to be objective or unbiased such as a journalistic report, tools of persuasion should be avoided.

Common Terms

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Satire refers to a play, novel, poem, film or other composition which uses comedy, irony, mockery, and exaggeration to criticize the absurdity or weaknesses of a certain person, institution, or situation. Often, satire utilizes comedy for more serious means, such as political and social commentary.

For an example of satire, see Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show which regularly satirizes news media:

The Daily Show: The Curious Case of Flight 370

Rhetorical Questions

A rhetorical question is a question asked in a form which does not in reality seek an answer but rather emphasizes a certain point. We often use rhetorical questions in everyday conversation as well as in speeches. Here are a few examples of rhetorical questions:

  • Why would anyone do such a thing?
  • How much longer will we allow such injustices to exist?
  • Are you kidding me?

2. Figurative Language

For centuries, poets and laypeople alike have used beautiful language to celebrate nature, compliment lovers, and launch the mundane into the mystical. Figurative language is writing which appeals to the senses. Rather than operating on logic or literalness, figurative language makes unique connections based on connotation, sound, and construction of words and phrases.

The importance of Figurative Language

Figurative language creates connections between unlike things which have never been considered before. It encourages complicated, creative, and poetic thought processes which give rise to beautiful, strange, and unique conceptions. Figurative language allows writers to transcend logical and typical bounds of thinking in order to present things in a new and meaningful way.

When to use Figurative Language

Figurative language is a chief component of poetic language as used in prose, poetry, speeches, and songs. Because figurative language is not literal, it should not be used in compositions which are meant to be taken literally, such as scientific and mathematic manuals or textbooks.

A metaphor is a direct and vivid comparison between two things usually considered distinct or unrelated. Metaphors discover the connections between unique things and emphasize their similarities poetically without being taken literally. Here are a few examples of metaphor:

  • Her smile is the sun.
  • He’s a black sheep.
  • All the world’s a stage.

Hyperbole is a remarkably exaggerated statement or idea meant to be taken figuratively rather than literally. Hyperbole exaggerates certain elements of ideas or things for comedic or dramatic effects. Here are a few examples of hyperbole:

  • I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!
  • That was the best performance I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
  • I’d kill for a glass of Coca-Cola.

3. Plot and Character Devices

A story is not a story without a plot and characters . Things must happen, and they must happen to interesting people who are flawed, capable of change, and active in their world. Plots are not always simple or linear, though, and characters are elements of a story which may be built, developed, and complicated. Novelists, poets, journalists, filmmakers, and others use numerous elements in making a compelling, interesting, and believable story.

The importance of Plot and Character Devices

Plot and character devices reveal how complicated compositions can be with a variety of necessary elements that piece the story together. Stories in any form require a variety of plot and character devices to shape their development and supply their meaning.

When to use Plot and Character Devices

Plot and character devices are elements of the story which could be told in many forms including poetry, prose, playwriting, song, television, film, and others. Devices used in Greek tragedies and in Shakespeare’s classics are still in use by novelists, story writers, poets, and playwrights today.

A flashback is a moment in which the linear story is interrupted and launched to an event that occurred in the past. Flashbacks are used to provide more information about the present and to further develop plots and characters in a way that is more interesting and complicated than a simple chronological plot. Here is an example of flashback:

A man is shopping when he sees a woman at the end of the aisle. The story flashes back, showing that he previously had a relationship with her, a relationship that ended badly. He swiftly turns around and enters a different aisle, avoiding her sight.

This flashback shows us that the woman in the store is important to the man, as she was an important person in his past.

Climax is one of the most important and necessary elements of a story’s plot, as all drama that has been developing over the course of the story reaches a breaking point when something or someone must change. This is the most dramatic, meaningful, and suspenseful moment in the story. Here is an example of the climax in a story:

A boy has been shipwrecked and has struggled to survive on a desert island. When a plane flies over him, he is prepared with a large fire burning. The plane circles back and lands on the island, where he is at last rescued.

The climax of this story occurs when the boy’s suffering and struggling end with his rescue.

4. Sound and Rhythm

The way we word things can create rhythm, musicality, and poetry for the reader or listener. Poetry in particular operates on syllable counts, arrangement of lines, usage of certain hard or soft sounds, and pattern-making with rhyme and other devices. Soft s sounds can create calm and smoothness, whereas hard k sounds create chaos and harshness. A variety of sound and rhythm devices take advantage of connotative noises and the feelings they evoke in the audience. Sound and rhythm create powerful poetry, prose, speeches, and songs.

The importance of Sound and Rhythm

Sound and rhythm appeal to us just as naturally as heartbeats, rain on the roof, and the shuffle of feet on the sidewalk do. Rhythm provides soothing and meaningful repetition and emphasis in prose and poetry. Sound, on the other hand, is connotative of numerous feelings from anger to sadness based on arrangement of vowel and consonant sounds.

When to use Sound and Rhythm

Sound and rhythm can be used in all compositions from poetry and song to prose and speechmaking to film and television dialogue. Poetic emphasis on sound and rhythm is typically artistic, so it should not be emphasized in more serious and logical compositions such as formal essays or textbooks.

  • Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of a certain sound at the beginning of successive words or phrases. Alliteration is used to create rhythm through repetition and to evoke emotion through connotations attached to certain sounds. Here are a few examples of alliteration:

  • Sarah swam smoothly and silently across the sound.
  • Kathy creates crazy and chaotic chants.
  • Bret brought bundles of bread to the bakery.
  • Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia refers to words which sound like that which they describe. Onomatopoeia creates a vivid reading experience, as words are automatic forms of sound imagery. Here are a few examples of onomatopoeia:

  • The explosion erupted with a boom !
  • The horses clip-clopped across the street.
  • Fall leaves rustled in the whistling

5. Wordplay

Have you ever heard someone describe a phrase as “punny”? Punny is a blend word, or portmanteau, which combines “pun” and “funny” to describe a funny pun. This is an act of wordplay: rearranging a word in a creative way to change, emphasize, or mock its meaning. Wordplay is a creative act which allows writers and readers to flex their thinking muscles. Wordplay has been employed by greats like Shakespeare to create entirely new words, modern poets to hide interesting messages, and quirky comedians to show off witty thinking.

The importance of Wordplay

Much of poetry and comedy makes use of wordplay to emphasize beauty, intelligence, and wit. It is also a way for wordsmiths to sharpen their creative-thinking in crafting words in new and unique ways. Wordplay serves as proof that literature is evolving, as new words are invented each year. Readers and writers alike value wit and comedy in poetry, prose, and other forms.

When to use Wordplay

Wordplay is primarily a playful and creative technique which is used by poets, playwrights, novels, short story writers, and children’s writers in lighthearted and imaginative compositions. Wordplay can also be used in creating new words serious and silly alike. Because wordplay is creative and new, it should not be used in formal essays or manuals with a pre-designated lexicon.

Neologisms are literally new words, or words recently created in order to describe something which has never been described.

For example, a recent neologism is “spork,” meaning a combined spoon and fork.

Anagrams are a type of wordplay in which the letters of a word or phrase are rearranged to create a new word or phrase containing the exact same letters.

For example, an anagram of the word “anagram” would be “nag a ram!”

6. Errors to Avoid

Although it is important to be aware of useful devices at your disposal, it is also important to be aware of potential mistakes you may be making. Just as there are terms for correct usage of literary devices , there are terms for incorrect usage as well. These are the errors you should work to avoid in your writing.

  • Malapropism

Malapropism is when a word is used incorrectly, often in place of one that sounds similar to the correct one. Here are a few common examples of malapropisms:

  • “Supposively” instead of “supposedly”
  • “For all intensive purposes” instead of “for all intents and purposes”
  • “Fortuitously” instead of “fortunately”

A cliché is an overused saying or idea which has lost its original meaning or power. Clichés are to be avoided because they are trite and shallow. Here are a few common examples of clichés:

  • Time heals all wounds
  • What goes around comes around
  • Every cloud has a silver lining

List of Terms

  • Amplification
  • Anachronism
  • Anthropomorphism
  • Antonomasia
  • APA Citation
  • Aposiopesis
  • Autobiography
  • Bildungsroman
  • Characterization
  • Circumlocution
  • Cliffhanger
  • Comic Relief
  • Connotation
  • Deus ex machina
  • Deuteragonist
  • Doppelganger
  • Double Entendre
  • Dramatic irony
  • Equivocation
  • Extended Metaphor
  • Figures of Speech
  • Flash-forward
  • Foreshadowing
  • Intertextuality
  • Juxtaposition
  • Literary Device
  • Parallelism
  • Pathetic Fallacy
  • Personification
  • Point of View
  • Polysyndeton
  • Protagonist
  • Red Herring
  • Rhetorical Device
  • Rhetorical Question
  • Science Fiction
  • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
  • Synesthesia
  • Turning Point
  • Understatement
  • Urban Legend
  • Verisimilitude
  • Essay Guide
  • Cite This Website

Literary Devices and Terms

literary devices refers to the typical structures used by writers in their works to convey his or her messages in a simple manner to the readers.  When employed properly, the different literary devices help readers to appreciate, interpret and analyze a literary work. Below is a list of literary devices with detailed definition and examples.

  • Accumulation
  • Active Voice
  • Alliteration
  • Amplification
  • Anachronism
  • Anacoluthon
  • Anadiplosis
  • Anagnorisis
  • Analytical Essay
  • Antanaclasis
  • Anthropomorphism
  • Anti-Climax
  • Antimetabole
  • Antiphrasis
  • Antistrophe
  • Antonomasia
  • Aposiopesis
  • Argumentative Essay
  • Auditory Imagery
  • Autobiography
  • Balanced Sentence
  • Bildungsroman
  • Black Humor
  • Blank Verse
  • Catachresis
  • Catastrophe
  • Cause and Effect Essay
  • Characterization
  • Circumlocution
  • Cliffhanger
  • Colloquialism
  • Comic Relief
  • Comparatives
  • Comparison and Contrast Essay
  • Connotation
  • Critical Essay
  • Cumulative Sentence
  • Deductive Reasoning
  • Deus Ex Machina
  • Deuteragonist
  • Didacticism
  • Direct Characterization
  • Doppelganger
  • Double Entendre
  • Dramatic Irony
  • Dramatic Monologue
  • Dynamic Character
  • End-Stopped Line
  • Enumeration
  • Equivocation
  • Exact Rhyme
  • Exaggeration
  • Existentialism
  • Explication
  • Explicatory Essay
  • Expository Essay
  • Extended Metaphor
  • External Conflict
  • Falling Action
  • Feminine Rhyme
  • Figurative Language
  • Figure of Speech
  • Flash-Forward
  • Flat Character
  • Foreshadowing
  • Frame Story
  • Gustatory Imagery
  • Hypothetical Question
  • Iambic Pentameter
  • Imperative Sentence
  • Implied Metaphor
  • In Medias Res
  • Inciting Incident
  • Internal Rhyme
  • Intertextuality
  • Juxtaposition
  • Kinesthesia
  • Kinesthetic Imagery
  • Malapropism
  • Metaphysical
  • Narrative Poem
  • Non Sequitur
  • Olfactory Imagery
  • Onomatopoeia
  • Ordinal Number
  • Overstatement
  • Parallel Structure
  • Parallelism
  • Paraprosdokian
  • Parenthesis
  • Paronomasia
  • Passive Voice
  • Pathetic Fallacy
  • Periphrasis
  • Personification
  • Perspective
  • Persuasive Essay
  • Poetic Justice
  • Point of View
  • Polysyndeton
  • Portmanteau
  • Procatalepsis
  • Process Essay
  • Protagonist
  • Red Herring
  • Reductio ad Absurdum
  • Rhetorical Device
  • Rhetorical Question
  • Rhyme Scheme
  • Rising Action
  • Romanticism
  • Round Character
  • Run-On Sentence
  • Science Fiction
  • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
  • Sensory Language
  • Sesquipedalian
  • Short Story
  • Simple Paragraph
  • Situational Irony
  • Sound Devices
  • Static Character
  • Stream of Consciousness
  • Superlative
  • Supporting Sentence
  • Synesthesia
  • Tactile Imagery
  • Tragic Flaw
  • Tragic Hero
  • Tragicomedy
  • Turning Point
  • Understatement
  • Urban Legend
  • Verbal Irony
  • Verisimilitude
  • Visual Imagery
  • Zoomorphism

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Word of the Day

Word of the day.

a figure of speech that produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect.

Why Dictionary.com chose oxymoron

More about oxymoron.

  • First recorded in 1650–60.
  • Comes from the Late Latin word oxymorum .
  • Oxymorum is from the presumed but unrecorded Greek neuter of oxýmōros , meaning “sharp-dull.”
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EXAMPLES OF OXYMORON

  • The song’s title, “Bittersweet Symphony,” perfectly captures the essence of an oxymoron by evoking both positive and negative emotions.
  • The comedian’s act was filled with witty oxymorons that left the audience laughing and scratching their heads at the same time.

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sesquipedalian

(of a word) containing many syllables.

Why Dictionary.com chose sesquipedalian

More about sesquipedalian.

  • Comes from the Latin word sesquipedālis , meaning “measuring a foot and a half.”
  • The first part, sesqui -, means “one and a half,” and pedal , means “of the feet,” which also forms  pedestrian ,  pedicure , and  pedal , as in “a foot-operated lever.”

EXAMPLES OF SESQUIPEDALIAN

  • The poet’s use of sesquipedalian words in their verses added an air of sophistication to their work.
  • A love of language and her sesquipedalian speech made her a captivating public speaker.

a short nap, usually 15–30 minutes, taken immediately after drinking a cup of coffee, the claimed benefit being that the energizing effect of caffeine may be bolstered by a sleeping body’s drop in adenosine levels.

Why Dictionary.com chose coffee nap

More about coffee nap.

  • First recorded in 2010–15.
  • Added to Dictionary.com on September 5, 2023.
  • Read about other new words added this month!

EXAMPLES OF COFFEE NAP

  • As the aroma of freshly brewed coffee engulfed the room, she eagerly anticipated a rejuvenating coffee nap to combat her afternoon slump.
  • Feeling drowsy, he gulped down a strong espresso shot, hoping it would kick in before his scheduled coffee nap .

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  1. "Literature" (Definition, scope and types of Literature) #literature #studentofenglishDepartment🤗

  2. What is literature??

COMMENTS

  1. Literature

    /ˈlɪɾərətʃər/ /ˈlɪtrətʃər/ IPA guide Other forms: literatures Literature is writing, usually good, creative, or smart writing, or at least we hope it is. If you love books and have stacks of them at home, then you are a lover of literature.

  2. LITERATURE

    writing that has lasting value as art: The course in English literature covers Shakespeare's plays. literature noun [U] (INFORMATION) all the information written about a subject:

  3. Literature Definition & Meaning

    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 (2) : an example of such writings what came out, though rarely literature, was always a roaring good story People b

  4. LITERATURE

    writing that has lasting value as art: The course in English literature covers Shakespeare's plays. literature noun [U] (INFORMATION) all the information written about a subject:

  5. literature noun

    /ˈlɪtrətʃə (r)/ /ˈlɪtrətʃər/, /ˈlɪtrətʃʊr/ [uncountable] pieces of writing that are valued as works of art, especially novels, plays and poems (in contrast to technical books and newspapers, magazines, etc.) English/American/French literature children's literature great works of literature

  6. LITERATURE Definition & Usage Examples

    noun writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. the entire body of writings of a specific language, period, people, etc.: the literature of England.

  7. Literature

    Search for: 'literature' in Oxford Reference ». A body of written works related by subject-matter (e.g. the literature of computing), by language or place of origin (e.g. Russian literature), or by prevailing cultural standards of merit. In this last sense, 'literature' is taken to include oral, dramatic, and broadcast compositions that ...

  8. LITERATURE definition in American English

    1. variable noun Novels, plays, and poetry are referred to as literature, especially when they are considered to be good or important. ...classic works of literature. I have spent my life getting to know diverse literatures of different epochs. Synonyms: writings, letters, compositions, lore More Synonyms of literature 2. uncountable noun

  9. literature noun

    Definition of literature noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  10. LITERATURE

    uk / ˈlɪtrətʃə r/ us literature noun [U] (BOOKS/POEMS) Add to word list Add to word list B1 books, poems, etc that are considered to be art: classical / modern literature Fewer examples the study of English literature classical literature I've got a BA in English literature from Liverpool University. He's writing a book on Russian literature.

  11. Literature

    relating to or characteristic of creative writing The terms " literary fiction" and "literary merit" serve to distinguish between individual works. folktale a traditional story or legend circulated by word of mouth Conversely, television, film, and radio literature have been adapted to printed or electronic media.

  12. Glossary of literary terms

    Glossary of literary terms. This glossary of literary terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in the discussion, classification, analysis, and criticism of all types of literature, such as poetry, novels, and picture books, as well as of grammar, syntax, and language techniques. For a more complete glossary of terms relating ...

  13. Literature Definition & Meaning

    The Britannica Dictionary literature 1 ENTRIES FOUND: literature (noun) literature / ˈ lɪtərətʃɚ/ noun plural literatures Britannica Dictionary definition of LITERATURE 1 : written works (such as poems, plays, and novels) that are considered to be very good and to have lasting importance [noncount] She took courses in history and literature.

  14. literature

    noun. definition 1: writings such as dramas, poems, novels, essays, and stories, esp. those that have lasting artistic value. Shakespeare is said to have made some of the greatest contributions to English literature. synonyms:

  15. Definitions of Literary Terms and Devices

    The main character (protagonist) of a literary work, especially one who exhibits admirable traits such as courage and righteousness; in mythology, heroes/heroines also typically possess supernatural powers or other qualities. Elizabeth Bennet is the heroine of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice.

  16. Literature

    literature, a body of written works. The name has traditionally been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution. Literature may be classified according to a variety of systems, including language, national origin, historical ...

  17. Literary Terms

    The Basics Characterization: The ways individual characters are represented by the narrator or author of a text. This includes descriptions of the characters' physical appearances, personalities, actions, interactions, and dialogue. Dialogue: Spoken exchanges between characters in a dramatic or literary work, usually between two or more speakers.

  18. Glossary of Literary Terms

    D . Denotation. Denotation is a word' or thing's "dictionary defintion", i.e. its literal meaning.. Denouement. The denouement is the very end of a story, the part where all the different plotlines are finally tied up and all remaining questions answered.. Deus ex machina. Deus ex machina is Latin for "a god from the machine." It's when some new character, force, or event ...

  19. Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms

    The best-selling Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (formerly the Concise dictionary) provides clear, concise, and often witty definitions of the most troublesome literary terms from abjection to zeugma.

  20. Literary

    literary: 1 adj of or relating to or characteristic of literature " literary criticism" adj appropriate to literature rather than everyday speech or writing "when trying to impress someone she spoke in an affected literary style" Synonyms: formal (of spoken and written language) adhering to traditional standards of correctness and without ...

  21. LITERATURE definition and meaning

    (lɪtrətʃəʳ , US -tərətʃʊr ) Word forms: plural literatures 1. variable noun Novels, plays, and poetry are referred to as literature, especially when they are considered to be good or important. ...classic works of literature. ...a Professor of English Literature. It may not be great literature but it certainly had me riveted!

  22. Literary Terms: Definition and Examples of Literary Terms

    Literary terms refer to the technique, style, and formatting used by writers and speakers to masterfully emphasize, embellish, or strengthen their compositions. Literary terms can refer to playful techniques employed by comedians to make us laugh or witty tricks wordsmiths use to coin new words or phrases. They can also include the tools of ...

  23. Literary Devices and Literary Terms

    literary devices refers to the typical structures used by writers in their works to convey his or her messages in a simple manner to the readers. When employed properly, the different literary devices help readers to appreciate, interpret and analyze a literary work. Below is a list of literary devices with detailed definition and examples.

  24. Literature of Mesopotamia

    The literature of Mesopotamia dates from c. 2600 BCE when scribes began composing original works in the region of Sumer.The Sumerians invented writing c. 3500 BCE, but it was then mostly used for record-keeping. The literature of ancient Mesopotamia influenced the works of other civilizations including Egypt, Greece, and Rome.. The pieces in this collection represent only a very small fraction ...

  25. Word of the Day

    More about sesquipedalian. First recorded in 1650-60. Comes from the Latin word sesquipedālis, meaning "measuring a foot and a half."; The first part, sesqui-, means "one and a half," and pedal, means "of the feet," which also forms pedestrian, pedicure, and pedal, as in "a foot-operated lever." Sign up for more Word of the Day! ...

  26. Aesthetic

    Core Vocabulary; Browse the Dictionary; ... 2 a aesthetics [noncount] : the study of beauty especially in art and literature. Aesthetics is an important part of Greek philosophy. 2 b aesthetics [plural] : the artistic or beautiful qualities of something. the aesthetics of the gemstones

  27. How does your rice taste? A new Japanese dictionary is cooking up a

    It is said that the Inuit have dozens of words to describe snow. In Japan, it is the same for rice. Now, a collaborative effort is under way to refine and define the terminology used to describe ...

  28. Word of the Day

    First recorded in 1650-60. Comes from the Latin word sesquipedālis, meaning "measuring a foot and a half.". The first part, sesqui -, means "one and a half," and pedal, means "of the feet," which also forms pedestrian , pedicure, and pedal, as in "a foot-operated lever.". Sign up for more Word of the Day!