Literature vs. Language — What's the Difference?

Literature broadly is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include oral literature, much of which has been transcribed.

A language is a structured system of communication used by humans, based on speech and gesture (spoken language), sign, or often writing. The structure of language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary.

Written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit

Communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols.

The body of written works of a language, period, or culture.

Such a system including its rules for combining its components, such as words.

Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value

Such a system as used by a nation, people, or other distinct community; often contrasted with dialect.

The art or occupation of a literary writer.

A system of signs, symbols, gestures, or rules used in communicating

The body of written work produced by scholars or researchers in a given field

(Computers) A system of symbols and rules used for communication with or between computers.

Printed material

Body language; kinesics.

(Music) All the compositions of a certain kind or for a specific instrument or ensemble

The special vocabulary and usages of a scientific, professional, or other group

The body of all written works.

A characteristic style of speech or writing

The collected creative writing of a nation, people, group, or culture.

A particular manner of expression

(usually preceded by the) All the papers, treatises, etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject.

The manner or means of communication between living creatures other than humans

Written fiction of a high standard.

Verbal communication as a subject of study.

Learning; acquaintance with letters or books.

The wording of a legal document or statute as distinct from the spirit.

The collective body of literary productions, embracing the entire results of knowledge and fancy preserved in writing; also, the whole body of literary productions or writings upon a given subject, or in reference to a particular science or branch of knowledge, or of a given country or period; as, the literature of Biblical criticism; the literature of chemistry.

(countable) A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.

The class of writings distinguished for beauty of style or expression, as poetry, essays, or history, in distinction from scientific treatises and works which contain positive knowledge; belles-lettres.

(uncountable) The ability to communicate using words.

The occupation, profession, or business of doing literary work.

(uncountable) A sublanguage: the slang of a particular community or jargon of a particular specialist field.

Creative writing of recognized artistic value

The expression of thought (the communication of meaning) in a specified way; that which communicates something, as language does.

The humanistic study of a body of literature;

A body of sounds, signs and/or signals by which animals communicate, and by which plants are sometimes also thought to communicate.

Published writings in a particular style on a particular subject;

A computer language; a machine language.

The profession or art of a writer;

(uncountable) Manner of expression.

(uncountable) The particular words used in a speech or a passage of text.

(uncountable) Profanity.

A languet, a flat plate in or below the flue pipe of an organ.

To communicate by language; to express in language.

An admonishment said in response to vulgar language.

Any means of conveying or communicating ideas;

The expression of ideas by writing, or any other instrumentality.

The forms of speech, or the methods of expressing ideas, peculiar to a particular nation.

The characteristic mode of arranging words, peculiar to an individual speaker or writer; manner of expression; style.

The inarticulate sounds by which animals inferior to man express their feelings or their wants.

The suggestion, by objects, actions, or conditions, of ideas associated therewith; as, the language of flowers.

The vocabulary and phraseology belonging to an art or department of knowledge; as, medical language; the language of chemistry or theology.

A race, as distinguished by its speech.

Any system of symbols created for the purpose of communicating ideas, emotions, commands, etc., between sentient agents.

Any set of symbols and the rules for combining them which are used to specify to a computer the actions that it is to take; also referred to as a computer lanugage or programming language; as, JAVA is a new and flexible high-level language which has achieved popularity very rapidly.

To communicate by language; to express in language.

A systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols;

(language) communication by word of mouth;

A system of words used in a particular discipline;

The cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication;

The mental faculty or power of vocal communication;

The text of a popular song or musical-comedy number;