auteur

noun au·teur \ ō-ˈtər \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Definition of auteur

1 : a film director whose practice accords with the auteur theory; broadly : director c

2 : an artist (such as a musician or writer) whose style and practice are distinctive

—

auteurist

play \-ist\ adjective or noun

Recent Examples of auteur from the Web

Rissient’s behind-the-scenes advocacy helped bring famed auteurs like Clint Eastwood, Jane Campion, Mike Leigh and Hou Hsiao-hsien to the attention of international tastemakers.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Director Lee Chang-dong and actor Steven Yeun on the profound mysteries of 'Burning'," 27 May 2018
And because Pitchfork’s editors are involved in creating the lineup, this festival is a genuinely great place to discover new rappers, singers and electronic auteurs who won’t be booked anywhere else.

— andrew r. chow, New York Times, "15 Pop Music Festivals to Catch This Summer," 17 May 2018
In this way, the auteur phase of starchitecture has ended with a whimper, as its leading figure presents an array of consumer experiences and corporate consulting under the thin guise of a singular vision.

— kyle chayka, The New Republic, "From architect to tastemaker, Bjarke Ingels is designing the future.," 2 May 2018
The auteur revealed Wednesday at a press conference in Beijing that his latest film, Ash is Purest White, is set to receive a nationwide theatrical release on Sept. 21.

— patrick brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, "Jia Zhangke's 'Ash Is Purest White' to Get Wide Release in China," 24 May 2018
Image That commitment to art cinema — and specifically to the international auteurs who burnish its standing — is only part of the story.

— manohla dargis, New York Times, "The Best and Worst of Cannes, Maybe Coming to a Theater Near You," 17 May 2018
Cannes is a festival notorious for pardoning controversial male auteurs.

— refinery29.com, "This Fact Will Make You View The Cannes Film Festival Differently," 8 May 2018
Best director went to the charming auteur Guillermo del Toro, who thanked Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.

— Vogue, "Film, Fashion, and Fundamental Rights: BAFTA 2018 Highlights from London," 19 Feb. 2018
Of course one of del Toro's Oscar competitors, Christopher Nolan, is also viewed as an auteur, and is an Englishman to boot.

— author: cara buckley, Anchorage Daily News, "How did ‘The Shape of Water’ become the film to beat at the Oscars?," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'auteur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of auteur

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1962

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Performing Arts Terms

diva, dramaturgy, loge, prestidigitation, proscenium, supernumerary, zany

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auteur

Definition of auteur

auteurist

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Origin and Etymology of auteur

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auteurist

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