Definitions for "Literary Criticism"
the evaluative or interpretive work written by professional interpreters of texts. It is "criticism" not because it is negative or corrective, but rather because those who write criticism ask hard, analytical, crucial, or "critical" questions about the works they read.
the study of an author's style, vocabulary, etc. abbreviation for an hypothetical (oral or written) source used by the evangelist known as "Matthew"
When not equivalent to " source criticism," it refers to " close reading" of a text in some way.