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
  • Rafael Peña is a travel journalist and writer whose work appears in Travel + Leisure, Cruise Critic, and The Miami Herald, a partnership with DETOUR.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Co-writer Barrett is the creator of Friday Beers and co-founder of Almost Friday Media, who, in 2020, formed the company’s original sketch comedy crew of Liam Cullagh, Angus, Chet Collins and Billy Langdon.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 14 July 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
  • Across the press tour so far, Zendaya, stylist Law Roach, and glam crew including Casillas and Moreno have had a lot of fun playing with the movie’s concept—method dressing and method glamming.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 July 2026
  • The Oscar-winning actress’ look was curated by stylist Micaela Erlanger.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 15 July 2026
Definition of stylist
Noun
  • Bring a pen, a notebook, and your curiosity—you’ll be among friends.
    — Kris Slugg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026
  • Zverev, who won the French Open and is seeking back-to-back Grand Slam titles, uses an insulin pen when needed to jab the top of his thigh during changeovers on court.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
Definition of pen
Noun
  • According to biographer William Shawcross, author of The Queen Mother, Elizabeth finally said yes in 1923.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
  • Madonna never set out to become a classic British lady of the manor, however, until fate intervened when she was introduced to Hugo Vickers, Cecil Beaton's suave biographer, through a mutual friend in 1998.
    — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 July 2026
Definition of biographer
Noun
  • 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
  • Creators Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest lend an auteur’s touch to the material, creating something that stands on its own while still bearing some of the MCU’s crowd pleasing flourishes.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 15 June 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 17 Jul. 2026.

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