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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His self-presentation is not that of a postmodern auteur, poised to trounce his critics, but of a goofy man off to the side with spectator shoes, spindly legs, and ginormous hands. Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 24 June 2025 The writer-director going from a Survivor contestant back in 2018 (who, incidentally, had also competed with his dad on The Amazing Race 14 in 2009) to an Emmy-winning prestige TV auteur with HBO’s The White Lotus was considered a Hollywood hero’s journey. James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025 In the meantime, Magna is happy to provide such auteur filmmakers with vital revenue streams between their features. Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 June 2025 While an official cause of death was not disclosed, the beloved musical auteur, who helped pioneer the studio-as-instrument, influencing generations of musicians in pop and beyond, was revealed, in early 2024, to be living with a neurocognitive disorder akin to dementia. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 11 June 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Auteur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auteur. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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