man of letters

American  

noun

1. a man engaged in literary pursuits, especially a professional writer.

2. a man of great learning; scholar.

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Etymology

Origin of man of letters

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

He was Scotland's last freelance man of letters, equally and happily at home between the covers of books and the pages of newspapers, able to turn his hand, it seemed, to any commission.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

“Literature nowadays is a trade,” Milvain insists: Putting aside men of genius, who may succeed by mere cosmic force, your successful man of letters is your skillful tradesman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Mallon, a distinguished man of letters, moved to Manhattan at 32, holding a PhD from Harvard and a dissertation that became his acclaimed 1984 book, “A Book of One’s Own.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2025

On a hot summer day in 1961, a young TV writer and aspiring comedian named Dick Cavett attended the funeral of George S. Kaufman, the renowned wit and man of letters.

From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2022

But it is not every consummate man of letters of whom it can be unhesitatingly affirmed that he was brave, just and pious.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 8 "Hudson River" to "Hurstmonceaux" by Various