poetry

[ poh-i-tree ]
See synonyms for poetry on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts.

  2. literary work in metrical form; verse.

  1. prose with poetic qualities.

  2. poetic qualities however manifested: the poetry of simple acts and things.

  3. poetic spirit or feeling: The pianist played the prelude with poetry.

  4. something suggestive of or likened to poetry: the pure poetry of a beautiful view on a clear day.

Origin of poetry

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English poetrie, from Medieval Latin poētria “poetic art,” derivative of poētapoet, but formation is unclear; probably not from Greek poiḗtria “poetess”

synonym study For poetry

2. Poetry, verse agree in referring to the work of a poet. The difference between poetry and verse is usually the difference between substance and form. Poetry is lofty thought or impassioned feeling expressed in imaginative words: Elizabethan poetry. Verse is any expression in words which simply conforms to accepted metrical rules and structure: the differences between prose and verse.

Opposites for poetry

Other words from poetry

  • po·et·ry·less, adjective

Words Nearby poetry

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How to use poetry in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for poetry

poetry

/ (ˈpəʊɪtrɪ) /


noun
  1. literature in metrical form; verse

  2. the art or craft of writing verse

  1. poetic qualities, spirit, or feeling in anything

  2. anything resembling poetry in rhythm, beauty, etc

Origin of poetry

1
C14: from Medieval Latin poētria, from Latin poēta poet

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012