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

Speaking at the IndieWire Honors ceremony in Hollywood on Thursday, December 5, Gomez thanked some of the indie auteurs who have helped shape her career as an actress. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024

After a trio of controversy-courting biographies, Russian auteur Kirill Serebrennikov will next tackle a more genteel original drama about photography shot and set in France. —Ben Croll, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024

The Red Sea International Film Festival has officially kicked off its fourth edition as A-listers and international auteurs converged in Jeddah’s old town of Al-Balad in Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city for a decidedly glamorous opening ceremony. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2024

The auteur arrived in Europe 28 days after hitting the road with a backpack filled with nothing more than a few pieces of clothing. —Gregory Ellwood, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024

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