auteur

noun

au·​teur ō-ˈtu̇r 

-ˈtər

1

: a film director whose practice accords with the auteur theory

broadly : director sense c

2

: an artist (such as a musician or writer) whose style and practice are distinctive

auteurist

ō-ˈtər-ist 

adjective or noun

Examples of auteur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the movies, zombies are impervious to knives, guns, katanas, spiked baseball bats and most other weapons an inventive auteur can think up. —Jason Rose, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Eleanor Coppola, the auteur’s wife of 61 years, died last year. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025

Quentin Tarantino, the Oscar-winning auteur who has made an indelible impact on cinema over the past 35 years, will be honored at the upcoming Burbank International Film Festival with BIFF’s Vanguard Award, the fest’s organizers announced on Monday. —Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2025

Villeneuve has established himself as one of his generation’s great blockbuster auteurs, capable of applying a distinct artistic vision to massive studio projects based on pre-existing I.P. in an era that’s frequently derided for its formulaic output. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, originator, author, from Old French autor, from Latin auctor — more at author

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing auteur

• auteur theory

Rhymes for auteur

• amour
• grandeur
• hauteur
• velour
• verdure
• voyeur
• doer
• poor
• poore
• raconteur