What does literatus mean?
Literatus means a learned or scholarly person, especially an intellectual authority in literature, history, philosophy, or another field. In modern English it has a deliberately learned or antiquarian tone and is most often encountered in discussions of intellectual culture, academia, or the European Renaissance. Historically, the word had a broader meaning: a literatus was simply someone who could read and write, a significant distinction in societies where literacy was uncommon. The usual plural is literati, and the phrase "the literati" can refer collectively to scholars and learned writers. Today, the singular is comparatively rare, but it remains useful when emphasizing erudition or the social status of an educated intellectual.
nounA learned or scholarly person, especially one regarded as an authority on literature, history, or another field. In earlier usage, the word referred to any person able to read and write.
- A learned or scholarly person, especially an authority in a field of study.
- Historically, a person able to read and write.
"The town's leading literatus was consulted about the manuscript's unusual Latin verses."
"Several eminent literati gathered to discuss the newly translated text."
"In medieval Europe, being a literatus meant that a person had received an education unavailable to most of the population."
The usual plural is literati, which can also be used collectively with the definite article to refer to scholars or learned people as a group.
"The conference brought together writers, historians, and other literati from across Europe."
Literatus literally means "lettered": its Latin ancestor described a person taught the letters, and the word later became a label for an erudite scholar.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does literatus come from?
Literatus comes from the Latin adjective literatus, meaning "lettered" or "learned," from littera, "letter." In Latin, literati referred to learned or educated people. English borrowed the word in the 16th century, initially with the broader sense of a literate person and later also with the more specific meaning of a scholar. Its close English relatives include literate, literacy, literature, and literal.
Related word forms
How literatus is actually used
The word is uncommon in modern English and often appears in historical, literary, or deliberately learned contexts. Its plural literati is much more familiar than the singular.
Easily confused with literatus
Literate means able to read and write and, as an adjective, well educated; a literatus is specifically a learned or scholarly person.
Literatus is the singular form, while literati is the usual plural used for learned people or scholars.