fabulist

noun

fab·​u·​list ˈfa-byə-list How to pronounce fabulist (audio)
Synonyms of fabulistnext
1
: a creator or writer of fables
2
: liar
fabulist adjective
or fabulistic

Examples of fabulist in a Sentence

a once highly admired journalist whose reputation is now that of a disgraced fabulist
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For Smith, in his hopes and oversights, was a fabulist as much as a scientist, a man doing theology as surely as economics. Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026 Rather than go full creator in his commutation push, the fabulist opted for a less viral form of media: newspaper op-eds, placing them in The South Shore Press, a Long Island rag. Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026 More than 80 years later, writers, creators, and fabulists in dark corners of the internet are still imagining ways and worlds where Hitler’s genes somehow survived. Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026 Her story remains fractured—saint, prophet, brand, fabulist—but her status as one of modernism’s most disruptive figures is secure. Alice Gregory, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fabulist

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Middle French fabuliste, from Latin fābula "talk, account, fable entry 1" + French -iste -ist entry 1

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fabulist was in 1593

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Cite this Entry

“Fabulist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fabulist. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.

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