The topicality of the doctoral thesis is substantiated by the necessity to study the terminology of the field and by a compelling need for a modern explanatory dictionary of literary theory terms in the Latvian language. The problem of the research is connected with a hitherto in sufficiently developed linguistic characterization of literary theory terms from different aspects: term selection, sources, development stages, key trends, grouping, systematizing, description, explanation, definition, collection, and reflection. The aim of the doctoral thesis is to characterize Latvian literary theory terminology: 1) by providing an overview of its historical development; 2) by discovering those linguistic aspects that ensure the theoretical and practical basis for studying and describing terms; 3) by analysing problem issues of compiling a modern dictionary of terms. The study of the historical development of literary theory terminology can be considered the main significance of the doctoral thesis. Its results are to be included in the description of Latvian terminology history if or when one was created. Insight into the specific features of terminology use of one field allows comparing it with the terminology of other fields and including the main findings of the present thesis in a wider study characterizing Latvian terminology development trends in their entirety. Description of the main semantically structural models may be useful as a pattern for creating new terms, as well as for a better understanding of the term-formation system. The practical significance of the research is associable with the development of the conception of the eventual explanatory dictionary of literary theory terms and also with the structuring of sample dictionary entries. The material and ideas of the thesis may be used for the development of appropriate philology study courses (in terminology, terminography, literary theory, history of literature, etc.), as well as in various studies on literary theory, and in consistent terminology usage.