belles-lettres

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: belles-let=tres

CIDE DICTIONARY

belles-lettres, n. pl. [F.].

 Polite or elegant literature; the humanities; -- used somewhat vaguely for literary works in which imagination and taste are predominant.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

belles-lettres, n.pl. (also treated as sing.) writings or studies of a literary nature, esp. essays and criticisms.

Derivative

belletrism n. belletrist n. belletristic adj.

Etymology

F, = fine letters

THESAURUS

belles-lettres

French literature, Renaissance literature, ancient literature, classics, contemporary literature, erotic literature, erotica, folk literature, humane letters, kitsch, letters, literature, medieval literature, national literature, obscene literature, polite literature, pop literature, popular literature, pornographic literature, pornography, pseudonymous literature, republic of letters, scatological literature, serious literature, travel literature, underground literature, wisdom literature