auteur

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

auteurism

2 of 2

noun (2)

au·​teur·​ism ō-ˈtər-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce auteurism (audio)
-ˈtœr-
plural -s
: auteur theory
auteurist
ō-ˈtər-ist How to pronounce auteurism (audio)
-ˈtœr-
noun or adjective
auteuristic
ˌō-ˌtər-ˈi-stik, 
-ˌtœr-
adjective
While it might be too glib to say that Allen's art mirrors his life, it is certainly true to say that his films are auteuristic expressions of his own neuroses and concerns. —Neil Norman, Evening Standard (London), 14 Aug. 1992

Examples of auteur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The film emerged victorious in a lineup of 17 features at the Swiss fest, including new works by auteurs including Hong Sangsoo, Denis Côté, Ann Oren and Nelson Yeo. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026 No franchise on this list is more indebted to a single auteur (Wes Craven) and a single actor (Robert Englund), who turned the saga of Freddy Krueger into something uniquely horrifying. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026 Watson joins a rich constellation of auteurs who have previously presided over the Sarajevo jury in past editions, including Mike Leigh, Jeremy Irons, Asghar Farhadi, Ruben Östlund, and Mia Wasikowska. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026 As these cameras are adopted by more and more auteurs, discussions around formats and aspect ratios are being built into how today’s big-budget films are advertised. — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for auteur

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

auteur + -ism

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of auteur was in 1962

Phrases Containing auteur

Rhymes for auteur

See All Rhymes for auteur

Browse Nearby Words

Auteuil
auteur
auteurism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Auteur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auteur. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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