man of letters

noun phrase

1

: scholar

2

: author

Examples of man of letters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There was a prefatory letter by Archibald MacLeish, a professor at Harvard and a former Librarian of Congress, and an introduction by Mark Schorer, a professor of English at Berkeley, along with blurbs from other eminent men of letters. — Louis Menand, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Mann has been invited to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Goethe, Germany’s greatest man of letters. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 May 2026

Prestigious man of letters Sheridan Whiteside (Monty Woolley) spills down the snowy front steps at the home of a small-town family, the Stanleys — where he's planned a promo dinner in Mesalia, Ohio, right around the holidays. — Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025

Marty is an erudite man of letters who has long wanted to meet one of his favorite writers. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for man of letters

• abettors
• newsletters
• typesetters
• betters
• debtors
• fetters
• getters
• setters
• sweaters