litterateur

noun

lit·​ter·​a·​teur ˌli-tə-rə-ˈtər How to pronounce litterateur (audio)
ˌli-trə-,
-ˈtu̇r
variants or littérateur
: a literary person
especially : a professional writer

Examples of litterateur in a Sentence

Washington Irving is generally credited as the first American litterateur to gain a reputation in Britain and on the Continent.
Recent Examples on the Web The book was first published anonymously, and its authorship is consequently uncertain, though usually attributed to a minor poet and litterateur named Wu Cheng’en. Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2021 Even his name, not to mention his author photo, had an aura of toughness more suggestive of a prizefighter than a litterateur. Geoffrey O’Brien, The New York Review of Books, 18 Apr. 2019 A similar lesson awaits the young litterateur who insists that a good book should move not only the head and the heart but also the loins. The Dirty Men and Women Of Esquire, Esquire, 29 Mar. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'litterateur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French littérateur, from Latin litterator critic, from litterae letters, literature

First Known Use

1806, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of litterateur was in 1806

Dictionary Entries Near litterateur

Cite this Entry

“Litterateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litterateur. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on litterateur

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!