The body of all written works. / The collected creative writing of a nation, people, group, or culture.

plural of literature

well-read

Literature published in electronic form, possibly incorporating hypertext and multimedia.

Any genre of literature used as escapism

A scholarly paper, or part of one, compiled from published sources, which sums up current knowledge of a particular topic.

plural of literature review

The academic field dealing with the study of literature and cultural expression across linguistic, cultural and national boundaries.

comparative literature

(education) Comparative literature. / (uncommon) The world's national literature collectively, especially the circulation and appreciation of works beyond their country of origin.