auteur

noun

au·​teur ō-ˈtu̇r 

-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

ō-ˈtər-ist 

adjective or noun

Examples of auteur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite facing repression in his native country, Panahi is one of the world’s leading auteurs. —Brent Lang, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025

The Tokyo International Film Festival unveiled the lineup on Wednesday for its 38th edition, running October 27 to November 5, and the main competition promises a typically eclectic mix of Asian auteurs, international arthouse stalwarts and new discoveries. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025

There aren’t that many American auteurs, mostly because the movie industry doesn’t want them. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025

Over the past decade or so, there’s been a lot written about how our major commercial auteurs, many of them white men around Paul Thomas Anderson’s age, have avoided making movies set in the present day. —Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025

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

Phrases Containing auteur

• auteur theory

Rhymes for auteur

• amour
• grandeur
• hauteur
• velour
• verdure
• voyeur
• doer
• poor
• poore
• raconteur