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
  • Information for this article was contributed by Sally Abou AlJoud and staff writers of The Associated Press.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Tung Cheng-yu, CEO of Mirror Fiction, said the award was designed to encourage writers and introduce promising literary properties to potential investors.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 8 Nov. 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
  • This proud wordsmith did not seem ready for his words to be used against him.
    — Luke Jones, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Not even as skilled a wordsmith as Sorkin and an actor as in control of his own talents as Whitford can offer a new take of villainy interesting enough to spur some newfound, good-faith reconsideration after all these years.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of wordsmith
Noun
  • With help from stylist Law Roach, Zendaya wore the same butter-yellow, brown and white Lanvin string bikini top and matching low-rise, wide-leg pants Berry wore to the film’s New York premiere.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Tracee Ellis Ross just proved that celebrities don’t need stylists to slay a red carpet.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of stylist
Noun
  • Newsom can commute about 40% of the death sentences with the stroke of a pen, but the rest will require the high court’s approval in order to be finalized.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • There are five different pen types, each in 10 colors, a separate highlighter with five colors, and an eraser.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of pen
Noun
  • According to Capra biographer Sam Wasson, the 83-year-old director made the trip from Southern California and sent along his own print to screen.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • All this challenges a biographer who would plumb Casey’s decades as chief executive.
    — Marc Levinson, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of biographer
Noun
  • In recent years, Fielder has sealed his reputation as a trickster-auteur with Showtime’s The Curse and HBO’s The Rehearsal.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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 9 Nov. 2026.

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