Literature, most generically, is any body of written works. More restrictively, literature writing is considered to be an art form, or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value, often due to deploying language in ways that differ from ordinary usage.
The death of Dr. Hudson is a loss to the republick of letters.
William King, letter (Jan. 7, 1719). Same phrase occurs in the Spectator. Commonwealth of letters is used by Addison, Spectator, No. 529. Nov. 6, 1712.
Experimental work, data analysis and numerical modelling have provided a sound quantitative assessment of climatic change on inland seas and their regions, particularly vulnerable to climatic and anthropogenic impacts.