auteur

noun

au·​teur ō-ˈtu̇r How to pronounce auteur (audio)
-ˈtər
1
: a film director whose practice accords with the auteur theory
broadly : director sense c
2
: an artist (such as a musician or writer) whose style and practice are distinctive
auteurist adjective or noun

Examples of auteur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In the genre, the Central American auteur found a piercing vehicle to discuss the sociopolitical afflictions of his homeland. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024 Barbier began his career in international sales at Wild Bunch (now Goodfellas) in 2011, working on auteur films such as Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake, Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum, and Hirokazu Koreeda’s The Shoplifters. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024 An indefinable musical by a French auteur is headed for millions of streaming subscribers. Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024 Just as the man has begun to find community and joy with a mysterious organization called Sunshine Club — led by a vaguely cult-like figure played with considerable charisma by leading Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke — his mother falls gravely ill. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for auteur 

Word History

Etymology

French, originator, author, from Old French autor, from Latin auctor — more at author

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of auteur was in 1962

Dictionary Entries Near auteur

Cite this Entry

“Auteur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auteur. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

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