auteur

noun

au·​teur ō-ˈtu̇r How to pronounce auteur (audio)
-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 adjective or noun

Examples of auteur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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His most celebrated films as an auteur included Flesh, Trash, Heat, Flesh for Frankenstein and the classic B-picture Blood for Dracula, which starred Joe Dallesandro. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Oct. 2024 The international star landed on Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos’ radar for his absurdist comedy The Lobster (2015); the two reunited for The Favourite (2018), where her acerbic performance landed her another Oscar nod. Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 26 Oct. 2024 There are the inevitable prestige-courting biopics, but there are also examinations of American religion, beloved auteur passion projects, and two ambitious and galaxy-brained L.A. satires. Rory Doherty, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024 In addition to her career reflections, Rossellini unprompted discusses the importance of personal and professional relationships with notable auteurs like Lynch and Martin Scorsese, to whom she was once married. Clayton Davis, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for auteur 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of auteur was in 1962

Dictionary Entries Near auteur

Cite this Entry

“Auteur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auteur. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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