The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Literati \Lit`e*ra"ti\ (l[i^]t`[-e]*r[aum]"t[=e];
   l[i^]t`[-e]*r[=a]"t[imac]), n. pl. [See Literatus.]
   Learned or literary men. See Literatus.
   [1913 Webster]

         Shakespearean commentators, and other literati.
                                                  --Craik.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Literatus \Lit`e*ra"tus\ (l[i^]t`[-e]*r[aum]"t[u^]s;
   l[i^]t`[-e]*r[=a]"t[u^]s), n.; pl. Literati
   (l[i^]t`[-e]*r[aum]"t[=e]; l[i^]t`[-e]*r[=a]"t[imac]). [L.
   litteratus, literatus.]
   A learned man; a man acquainted with literature; -- chiefly
   used in the plural.
   [1913 Webster]

         Now we are to consider that our bright ideal of a
         literatus may chance to be maimed.       --De Quincey.
   [1913 Webster] -lith

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

literati
    n 1: the literary intelligentsia