இலக்கியம் என்பது விரிந்த பொருளில் எழுதிய அனைத்தையும் குறிக்கும். இந்த வரையறையின் கீழ் இலக்கியத்தை இரு வகைகளாகப் பிரிக்கலாம்:

1. இன்பியல் இலக்கியம்
2. அறிவியல் இலக்கியம்

Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, plays, and poems, and including both print and digital writing. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include oral literature, much of which has been transcribed. Literature is a method of recording, preserving, and transmitting knowledge and entertainment, and can also have a social, psychological, spiritual, or political role.