literature Copy link Outline 1. littĕrae, arum2. hūmānĭtas (refined culture generally) • literature: 1. littĕrae, arum: to know nothing of l., l. nescire, Cic. Br. 74, 259; stronger, nullas omnino l. nosse, id. Ph. 2, 8, 20: possessed of extensive and profound knowledge of l., multis l. et iis reconditis et exquisitis, id. Br. 72, 252: cf. preced. art. (1). 2. hūmānĭtas (refined culture generally): v. refinement. (N.B.--Sometimes the Eng. word is used to denote published matter indiscriminately, in which sense litterae should not be used, but rather libri.)