belles-lettres

/ˌbɛlˈlɛtɹ(ə)/

noun

The humanities.

Similar
polite literaturebelles lettres
OriginFrench belles-lettres →
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Meanings

nounbelles-lettres (uncountable)

alternative belles lettres · alternative belles-letters · alternative belle-lettre

  1. obsoleteuncountableThe humanities.
  2. archaicuncountableLiterature, particularly light compositions valued for their aesthetic properties.

    That vapid, half naturalized term ‘belles-lettres,’ which has had some currency as a substitute for the term ‘literature.’

    a. 1854, Henry Reed, Lectures on English Literature, 1878 edition, page 34

    Synonyms: polite literature

  3. archaicuncountableLiterary studies, particularly literary aesthetics.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounLiterature, particularly light compositions valued for their aesthetic properties.

Similar
polite literature

More synonyms by meaning

nouncreative writing valued for esthetic content

Similar
belles lettres
Broader
literary compositionliterary work
Also see
humanities

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchbelles-lettres“fine writings”
  2. Englishbelles-lettres

Borrowed from French belles-lettres (“fine writings”), a parallel construction with the beaux arts (“fine arts”). Littré considered the belles-lettres to embrace grammar, rhetoric, and poetry. Sense embracing all of the humanities under the influence of Latin literae humaniores.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic أَدَب
  • أَدَب (ʔadab)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Chinese Mandarin 純文學 /纯文学, 美文
  • 純文學 /纯文学 (chúnwénxué)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • 美文 (měiwén)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • 詩禮 /诗礼 (shīlǐ)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Czech beletrie
  • beletrielight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Dutch bellettrie
  • bellettrielight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Esperanto beletro, beletristiko
  • beletrolight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • beletristikolight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Estonian ilukirjandus, belletristika
  • ilukirjanduslight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • belletristikalight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Finnish kaunokirjallisuus
  • kaunokirjallisuuslight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
French belles-lettres
  • belles-lettreslight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
German Belles Lettres, schöne Literatur
  • Belles Lettreslight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • schöne Literaturlight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • Belletristiklight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Hungarian szépirodalom
  • szépirodalomlight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Indonesian susastra
  • susastralight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Irish léann liteartha
  • léann litearthalight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Japanese 純文学
  • 純文学 (junbungaku)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Korean 순문학
  • 순문학 (sunmunhak)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Polish beletrystyka, literatura piękna
  • beletrystykalight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • literatura pięknalight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Portuguese belas-letras
  • belas-letraslight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Romanian beletristică
  • beletristicălight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Russian худо́жественная литерату́ра, беллетри́стика
  • худо́жественная литерату́ра (xudóžestvennaja literatúra)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • беллетри́стика (belletrístika)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Spanish bellas letras, buenas letras
  • bellas letraslight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • buenas letraslight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Swedish skönlitteratur, belletristik
  • skönlitteraturlight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • belletristiklight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Ukrainian худо́жня літерату́ра, белетри́стика
  • худо́жня літерату́ра (xudóžnja literatúra)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • белетри́стика (beletrýstyka)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
  • кра́сне письме́нство (krásne pysʹménstvo)light literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Vietnamese văn chương
  • văn chươnglight literary compositions valued for their aesthetic properties
Cite this entry
APA

belles-lettres. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/belles-lettres

MLA

“belles-lettres.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/belles-lettres. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “belles-lettres,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/belles-lettres.

Source: belles-lettres on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.