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
  • Contributing Writer Laura Itzkowitz is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for covering travel, arts and culture, lifestyle, design, food, and wine.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Ahmed Naji is a bilingual writer, journalist, documentary filmmaker, and official criminal from Egypt.
    — Sabrina Jaszi, The Dial, 4 Aug. 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
  • The stylists had fun mimicking features from its namesake, Lockheed's legendary Mach-3 Blackbird SR-71 spy plane.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026
  • On a recent Twitch stream, Aysia Collins, one of Burke’s closest friends and a stylist on his Withered tour, recalled seeing the missing-person flyer.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of stylist
Noun
  • For weeks Haitians living in the United States, including here in South Florida, have been warned that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would be coming to an end, and on Wednesday that decision became final with the stroke of a judge's pen.
    — Tania Francois, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • People are much more comfortable pushing their physical bodies to their limits, rather than sitting down to stretch their imaginations with pen and paper.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of pen
Noun
  • Royal biographer Ingrid Seward—who also personally knew Diana—told Hello!
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 28 July 2026
  • According to Kahlo’s biographer Hayden Herrera, Trotsky became especially animated and witty in their company, and while his opportunities were limited, his success was notable.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 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 7 Aug. 2026.

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