feuilleton

noun feuil·le·ton \ ˌfə-yə-ˈtōⁿ , ˌfər- ˌfœ- \

Definition of feuilleton

1 :a part of a European newspaper or magazine devoted to material designed to entertain the general reader

2 :something (such as an installment of a novel) printed in a feuilleton

3 a :a novel printed in installments

b :a work of fiction catering to popular taste

4 :a short literary composition often having a familiar tone and reminiscent content

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feuilletonism

play \ˌfə-yə-ˈtō(ⁿ)-ˌni-zəm, ˌfər- ˌfœ-\ noun

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feuilletonist

play \ˌfə-yə-ˈtō(ⁿ)-nist, ˌfər- ˌfœ\ noun

feuilleton was our Word of the Day on 06/05/2008. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of feuilleton from the Web

At the heart of the famously archconservative FAZ is the feuilleton page, where Germany's intellectuals have long debated obscure points of 19th-century philosophy, the German soul, and the cultural legacy of Christendom.

— misha glenny, WIRED, "How Europe Can Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Future," 1 Feb. 2001

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

Did You Know?

The feuilleton originated in French newspapers as a supplement sectioned out from the main news stories. Although found in the political section of the newspaper, the feuilleton typically included material on non-political subjects, such as art, literature, or fashion. Fiction was sometimes included as well. The word is a diminutive of the French feuillet, meaning "sheet of paper," and ultimately derives from Latin folium, meaning "leaf." From this source English acquired "folio" (which can refer to a page, or leaf, of a book or manuscript) and "foliage" (meaning "a mass of leaves").