Text vs. Literature — What's the Difference?

A book or other written or printed work, regarded in terms of its content rather than its physical form

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.

The main body of a book or other piece of writing, as distinct from other material such as notes, appendices, and illustrations

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

A written work chosen or set as a subject of study

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

A text message

Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value

Fine, large handwriting, used especially for manuscripts.

The art or occupation of a literary writer.

Send (someone) a text message

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

The original words of something written or printed, as opposed to a paraphrase, translation, revision, or condensation.

Printed material

The words of a speech appearing in print.

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

Words, as of a libretto, that are set to music in a composition.

The body of all written works.

Words treated as data by a computer.

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

A text message.

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

The body of a printed work as distinct from headings and illustrative matter on a page or from front and back matter in a book.

Written fiction of a high standard.

One of the editions or forms of a written work

Learning; acquaintance with letters or books.

Something, such as a literary work or other cultural product, regarded as an object of critical analysis.

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.

A passage from the Scriptures or another authoritative source chosen for the subject of a discourse or cited for support in argument.

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.

A passage from a written work used as the starting point of a discussion.

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

A subject; a topic.

Creative writing of recognized artistic value

A textbook.

The humanistic study of a body of literature;

To send a text message to

Published writings in a particular style on a particular subject;

To communicate by text message

The profession or art of a writer;

To key or send text messages

A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences.

A book, tome or other set of writings.

(colloquial) A brief written message transmitted between mobile phones.

(computing) Data which can be interpreted as human-readable text.

A verse or passage of Scripture, especially one chosen as the subject of a sermon, or in proof of a doctrine.

(by extension) Anything chosen as the subject of an argument, literary composition, etc.

(printing) A style of writing in large characters; also, a kind of type used in printing.

(transitive) To send a text message to; i.e. to transmit text using the Short Message Service (SMS), or a similar service, between communications devices, particularly mobile phones.

(intransitive) To send and receive text messages.

(dated) To write in large characters, as in text hand.

A discourse or composition on which a note or commentary is written; the original words of an author, in distinction from a paraphrase, annotation, or commentary.

The four Gospels, by way of distinction or eminence.

A verse or passage of Scripture, especially one chosen as the subject of a sermon, or in proof of a doctrine.

Hence, anything chosen as the subject of an argument, literary composition, or the like; topic; theme.

A style of writing in large characters; text-hand also, a kind of type used in printing; as, German text.

That part of a document (printed or electronic) comprising the words, especially the main body of expository words, in contrast to the illustrations, pictures, charts, tables, or other formatted material which contain graphic elements as a major component.

Any communication composed of words.

A textbook.

To write in large characters, as in text hand.

The words of something written;

A passage from the Bible that is used as the subject of a sermon;

A book prepared for use in schools or colleges;

The main body of a written work (as distinct from illustrations or footnotes etc.);