What does literati mean?
Literati is a formal plural noun for educated, learned, and intellectually influential people, especially writers, scholars, critics, and other prominent figures in cultural life. It can suggest people distinguished by literary education or accomplishment, and it may carry a mildly elitist or sociological tone, as though referring to an intellectual elite. In ordinary use, the word often appears in phrases such as “the literati of the period” or “appealing to the literati.” It is occasionally confused with literate, which simply means able to read and write, but literati denotes a social or intellectual group rather than a particular skill. The term is related to literature and literacy and ultimately comes from Latin, where its singular form was literatus, meaning “a lettered person.” In modern English, literati is essentially always used in the plural.
plural nounThe literati are educated or learned people, especially those who are influential in literary, intellectual, or cultural life. The term can also refer collectively to writers, scholars, and literary critics.
- Educated or learned people, especially intellectuals, scholars, writers, and literary critics.
- A group regarded as influential in literary, artistic, or intellectual life.
"The novel delighted the literati but found a more demanding readership among general readers."
"Historians and philosophers are often regarded as among the literati of their age."
"Her essays appealed to the literati but were deliberately accessible to ordinary readers."
Literati is already plural; its Latin-derived singular literatus is rarely used in modern English.
"The newspaper appealed to a wide audience beyond the city's established literati."
Literati is already plural: its singular is the learned-sounding literatus, but English speakers almost always use the collective plural.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does literati come from?
Literati comes from the Latin plural literati, meaning “lettered people,” formed from litterae, “letters,” in the sense of learning and literature. The word entered English in the early 17th century, when it was used for learned or literate people. Its singular, literatus, follows the traditional Latin formation but is rare in present-day English.
Related word forms
How literati is actually used
The term is formal and often carries a slight implication of cultural prestige or elitism. It is usually used of a group rather than an individual.
Easily confused with literati
Literate describes a person who can read and write, while literati refers to a group of educated or intellectually influential people.