belletrist

noun

variants also belle-lettrist
Definition of belletristnext
as in writer

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of belletrist The philologists, unlike the belletrists, were methodical and systematic, and given to expounding those methods and systems in lengthy treatises. — Evan Kindley, The New York Review of Books, 16 Feb. 2023 Harrison is almost the textbook example of a belletrist—someone who writes essays more for their aesthetic effect than anything else. — Bill Heavey, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 Locke the glossy belletrist gave way to Locke the fellow-traveller, Locke the savvy champion of proletarian realism. — Tobi Haslett, The New Yorker, 11 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belletrist
  1. writer
  2. litterateur
  3. wordsmith
  4. stylist
  5. pen
  6. biographer
  7. auteur
  8. penman
Noun
  • The three writers attempted to balance overall talent with building a sensible basketball team.
    — Victor Wembanyama, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In particular, actors should look for opportunities to work with experienced directors, producers, writers and performers who understand the demands of the business.
    — E'Ian West, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of writer
Noun
  • Clearly, by now — that is, 1835 — science had done enough to prove itself in the eyes of the litterateurs.
    — Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 7 Mar. 2025
  • 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, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2021
Definition of litterateur
Noun
  • Kerri comes from an improv background but is also a technical wordsmith.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
  • But Fleming leaps past other wry wordsmiths with his constant, unrelenting effort to wring every last drop of laughter out of every single premise.
    — John Roy, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2026
Definition of wordsmith
Noun
  • Wardrobe stylist and art director Morgan Jordan has turned her $2,300 Glendale rental into a chic bohemian bungalow, layering bold color, vintage finds and plants around her three-legged cat, Zsa Zsa.
    — Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • So when a cookbook titled Cookie Queen—written by legendary food stylist Susan Spungen—came across my desk, my ears perked up.
    — The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of stylist
Noun
  • The petting zoo, Farm Adventures, said the goats were too young for vaccination and had been bitten by a skunk found in their pen.
    — Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The top button works as a traditional pen activation system, extending the refill when needed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of pen
Noun
  • The film draws on previously unheard recorded conversations between Pratt and his biographer, Dominique Petitfaux, whose book of interviews with the artist supplies the film’s title.
    — JD Linville, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Another royal biographer, Russell Myers, spoke with The Telegraph in July about George attending Eton, which costs $80,000 a year.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of biographer
Noun
  • No franchise on this list is more indebted to a single auteur (Wes Craven) and a single actor (Robert Englund), who turned the saga of Freddy Krueger into something uniquely horrifying.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Madonna was stopped dead in her tracks by the strapping 30-year-old auteur of the nouvelle vague gangster movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, an eye-popping directorial debut.
    — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 July 2026
Definition of auteur
Noun
  • Its design by Leonardo Fioravanti, the prolific penman who created, among other Ferrari masterpieces, the Dino and 308 GTB, was an instant hit.
    — Robert Ross, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2023
Definition of penman

Browse Nearby Words

belles
belletrist
belletristic
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Cite this Entry

“Belletrist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belletrist. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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