raconteur

noun

ra·​con·​teur ˌra-ˌkän-ˈtər 

-kən-

: a person who excels in telling anecdotes

Did you know?

Raconteur Has Old French Roots

If you’re a sage of sagas, a bard of ballads, or a pro in prose, you may have lost count of the accounts you’ve recounted. Some might call you a recounter, but as a master of narrative form you may find that recounter lacks a certain je ne sais quoi. Sure, it has a cool story—it traces back to the Latin verb computere, meaning “to count”—but so do many words: compute and computer, count and account, and neither last nor least, raconteur, a singsong title better fit for a whimsical storyteller. English speakers borrowed raconteur from French in the early 19th century.

Examples of raconteur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Doumani moved to the Napa Valley in the late 1960s, founded three wineries, sold two of them, and lived the life of a bon vivant and raconteur that amounts to a fading breed in the Valley. —Patrick Comiskey, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025

Ever the raconteur, Copeland is taking the speaking tour to Europe this spring and fall. —Craig Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025

Jones was a tremendous raconteur and an even better writer—his words, my goodness. —ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2025

In addition to being one of the great songwriters of all-time, Ian is a captivating raconteur, which has made for engaging Q&As with documentary audiences. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from raconter to tell, from Old French, from re- + aconter, acompter to tell, count — more at account

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for raconteur

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

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