Belletristic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /bɛl.lɛˈtɹɪs.tɪk/

Definitions

1. Relating to or characteristic of literary works valued more for their artistic style and aesthetic qualities than for informational or instructional content
2. Referring to literature that emphasizes aesthetic value and artistic expression rather than utility or factual information
3. Pertaining to artistic literature that prioritizes style and aesthetic appeal over practical or informational purpose

Etymology: The adjective "belletristic" is a simple case: it is formed from the noun "belletrist" with the suffix "-ic". That noun came into English from French "belles-lettres," literally "fine letters," a phrase used for imaginative literature as opposed to scholarship or technical writing. The French phrase itself is a plural that once covered the whole of polite learning, so the noun and adjective narrow it back down to a single sense. The suffix "-ic" has a long pedigree. It passed from Greek through Latin "-icus" into Old French "-ique" and then into Middle English as "-ik," which later settled into the modern "-ic" spelling. Attaching it to "belletrist" follows the same pattern as countless other English adjectives, so the word itself adds little beyond the fine-letters idea already built into its base.

Synonyms: literary, artistic, fictional, imaginative, poetic

Antonyms: nonliterary, prosaic, unartistic, factual, informational