What does belles lettres mean?
Definitions for belles lettres
belles let·tres
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word belles lettres.
Princeton's WordNet
belles-lettres, belles lettresnoun
creative writing valued for esthetic content
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
BELLES LETTRESnoun
Polite literature. It has no singular.
Etymology: Fr.
The exactness of the other, is to admit of something like discourse, especially in what regards the belles lettres. Tatler.
Wikipedia
belles lettres
Belles-lettres is a category of writing, originally meaning beautiful or fine writing. In the modern narrow sense, it is a label for literary works that do not fall into the major categories such as fiction, poetry, or drama. The phrase is sometimes used pejoratively for writing that focuses on the aesthetic qualities of language rather than its practical application. A writer of belles-lettres is a belletrist.
ChatGPT
belles lettres
Belles lettres refers to a category of writing that includes essays, poetry, criticism and other artistic and literary works that aim to provide aesthetic pleasure, exploration of ideas, or intellectual enrichment, rather than purely conveying information or advancing a narrative plot. It's a French term, literally translating to "beautiful letters". This term implies an emphasis on style, elegance, and a polished use of language.
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of belles lettres in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of belles lettres in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
Translation
Find a translation for the belles lettres definition in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Word of the Day
Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?
Citation
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"belles lettres." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/belles+lettres>.
Discuss these belles lettres definitions with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In