man of letters

noun phrase

1
2
: author

Examples of man of letters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Conquest, the historian and man of letters, was an expert on Ukraine, and Russia. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Oct. 2024 Prestigious man of letters Sheridan Whiteside (Monty Woolley) spills down the snowy front steps at the home of small-town family the Stanleys, where he's planned a promo dinner in Mesalia, Ohio, right around the holidays. Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 16 Nov. 2023 Cerebral men of letters often make unrewarding screen protagonists, spending too much time in their own heads to fully engage as characters. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 An eccentric man of letters, Mr. Gottlieb bore an uncanny resemblance to Woody Allen. Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, 14 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'man of letters.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of man of letters was in 1645

Dictionary Entries Near man of letters

Cite this Entry

“Man of letters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man%20of%20letters. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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