Tolkien

American  

[tohl-keen, tol-] / ˈtoʊl kin, ˈtɒl- /

noun

1. J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) 1892–1973, English novelist, philologist, and teacher, born in South Africa.

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Tolkien British  

/ ˈtɒlkiːn /

noun

1. J ( ohn ) R ( onald ) R ( euel ). 1892–1973, British philologist and writer, born in South Africa. He is best known for The Hobbit (1937), the trilogy The Lord of the Rings (1954–55), and the posthumously published The Silmarillion (1977)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Tolkienesque
  adjective

Example Sentences

Their imaginations seem to have been fed on solely on “Starship Troopers” and little else except maybe some Tolkien.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

It called the design, which allows the eye of the JRR Tolkien villain Sauron to be seen on some of the 50p collectables, "a UK coinage first".

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Tolkien once described his defining high fantasy in a frequently quoted letter as “a fundamentally religious and Catholic work.”

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

"But as Tolkien wrote, it's the small, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love," he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

“Og’s wife was a big Tolkien fan, remember? He built this place for her.”

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline