littĕrātūra (lītĕr-), ae, f. [litterae].
I A writing formed of letters: litteratura constat ex notis litterarum et ex eo, in quo imprimuntur illae notae, Cic. Part. 7, 26.— *
B Transf.: Graeca, the Greek alphabet , Tac. A. 11, 13.—
II The science of language, grammar, philology : grammatice, quam in Latinum transferentes litteraturam vocaverunt, Quint. 2, 1, 4; cf. id. 2, 14, 3: prima illa litteratura, per quam pueris elementa traduntur, Sen. Ep. 88, 20.—
III Learning, erudition : saecularis, Tert. Spect. 18.