The difference between Belle and Belles-lettres

When used as nouns, belle means an attractive woman, whereas belles-lettres means the humanities.


check bellow for the other definitions of Belle and Belles-lettres

  1. Belle as a noun:

    An attractive woman.

    Examples:

    "In her new dress she felt like the belle of the ball."

  1. Belles-lettres as a noun (obsolete):

    The humanities.

  2. Belles-lettres as a noun (archaic):

    Literature, particularly light compositions valued for their aesthetic properties.

  3. Belles-lettres as a noun (archaic):

    Literary studies, particularly literary aesthetics.

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