writings in prose or verse, esp those writings having artistic value or merit expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest
What makes literature interesting is that it does not survive its translation. The characters in a novel are made out of the sentences. That's what their substance is — Jonathan Miller
Literature comprises works where style or form offers pleasure in excess of the content, which is often, but not necessarily, fictional. The term thus represents a classification that depends on a value judgment. The category, not widely identified before the 19th cent., is now in question, as it has become increasingly evident that it represents the taste of a particular race, class, or gender at a specific historical moment — Professor Catherine Belsey
the body of writings on a particular subject
scientific literature
printed matter, e.g. leaflets or circulars
[Middle English via French from Latin litteratura, from litteratus: see literate1]