belles-lettres

[ French bel-le-truh ]
/ French bɛlˈlɛ trə /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR belles-lettres ON THESAURUS.COM

plural noun

literature regarded as a fine art, especially as having a purely aesthetic function.
light and elegant literature, especially that which is excessively refined, characterized by aestheticism, and minor in subject, substance, or scope.

Origin of belles-lettres

1700–10; < French: literally, fine letters. See belle, letter1

OTHER WORDS FROM belles-lettres

bel·let·rist [bel-le-trist] /bɛlˈlɛ trɪst/, noun bel·let·ris·tic [bel-li-tris-tik] /ˌbɛl lɪˈtrɪs tɪk/, adjective

Words nearby belles-lettres

belleau wood, belleek, bellefontaine, bellefontaine neighbors, bellerophon, belles-lettres, belletrist, belleville, belleville spring, bellevue, bellflower

Words related to belletrist

brain, intellectual, savant, scholar, litterateur, wordsmith

British Dictionary definitions for belletrist (1 of 2)

belletrist
/ (bɛlˈlɛtrɪst) /

noun

a writer of belles-lettres

Derived forms of belletrist

belletrism, noun belletristic (ˌbɛlɪˈtrɪstɪk), adjective

British Dictionary definitions for belletrist (2 of 2)

belles-lettres
/ (French bɛllɛtrə) /

noun

(functioning as singular) literary works, esp essays and poetry, valued for their aesthetic rather than their informative or moral content

Word Origin for belles-lettres

C17: from French: fine letters