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
  • Two Filipinos must fill above-the-line roles – director, writer or actor – and five more must work in key creative or technical crew positions.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The narrative and visual imagination on display is truly stunning, but they’re overshadowed by the genuine feeling in the screenplay crafted by director and Laika CEO Travis Knight and writer Chris Butler (ParaNorman, Missing Link).
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 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
  • Aaron Lee Tasjan, a close friend of Snider’s, will lead a tribute to the witty wordsmith that will also include John Craigie, Elizabeth Cook, Chuck Prophet, Steve Poltz and other guests.
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Politically savvy, wickedly and playfully witty, and in close touch with humanity’s many facets, Roger Simon was among the most admired newspaper columnists of his generation at a time when that world was rich in that species of wordsmiths.
    — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of wordsmith
Noun
  • Simon comes across as less of a polemicist and more of a stylist.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • For glam, the actress’ hair was styled with a side part and coiffed in an homage to Old Hollywood glamour by stylist Renato Campora, with makeup by artist Hung Vanngo.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of stylist
Noun
  • Rana, the former engineering student, carries nothing but a pen and a scrap of paper to her lessons.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The holding pens are divided into smaller units, used as offices, studios, cafes, clubs and restaurants.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of pen
Noun
  • According to biographer Anne Sebba, Simpson’s answer was resolute.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Accomplished biographer Barbara Ransby rights the historical record.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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