poet

noun

po·​et ˈpō-ət How to pronounce poet (audio)
-it,
 also  ˈpȯ(-)it
1
: one who writes poetry : a maker of verses
2
: one (such as a creative artist) of great imaginative and expressive capabilities and special sensitivity to the medium

Examples of poet in a Sentence

Emily Dickinson is famous as the poet who rarely left the house but often journeyed to the depths of the human heart.
Recent Examples on the Web
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O’Hara, Ashbery, and Koch would later form the nucleus of what became known as the New York School of poets. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 San Mateo County Libraries hosts a Diwali celebration at this senior and community center in Belmont, featuring music, poetry celebrating the holiday from Belmont’s Poet Laureate Monica Korde and local poets, dancing and a kid-friendly craft table. Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025 The former Rocky Flats weapons plant, which produced plutonium triggers for nuclear bombs, drew thousands of protesters for years to the site north of Denver, including such prominent activists as Daniel Ellsberg and Beat poet Allen Ginsberg. Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025 Around the same time, a Black History Month project – a living wax museum in which her other daughter was planning to depict the poet Maya Angelou – was also canceled. Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poet

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French poete, from Latin poeta, from Greek poiētēs maker, poet, from poiein to make; akin to Sanskrit cinoti he gathers, heaps up

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of poet was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poet. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

poet

noun
po·​et ˈpō-ət How to pronounce poet (audio)
-it
: a person who writes poetry

More from Merriam-Webster on poet

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