author
Americannoun
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authors
plural
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a person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of a literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.
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the literary production or productions of a writer.
to find a passage in an author.
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the maker of anything; creator; originator.
the author of a new tax plan.
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Computers. the writer of a software program, especially a hypertext or multimedia application.
verb (used with object)
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authors,
present (3rd person singular)
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authored,
past participle, past
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authoring
present participle
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to write; be the author of.
He authored a history of the Civil War.
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to originate; create a design for.
She authored a new system for teaching chemistry.
noun
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a person who composes a book, article, or other written work
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a person who writes books as a profession; writer
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the writings of such a person
reviewing a postwar author
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an originator or creator
the author of this plan
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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authorsimple
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authorssimple
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have authoredperfect
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has authoredperfect
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am authoringprogressive
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are authoringprogressive
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is authoringprogressive
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have been authoringperfect progressive
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has been authoringperfect progressive
Past
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authoredsimple
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had authoredperfect
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was authoringprogressive
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were authoringprogressive
-
had been authoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of author
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English auct(h)or, from Latin auctor “founder, originator, writer,” equivalent to aug(ēre) “to increase” ( cf. augment) + -tor -tor; replacing Middle English auto(u)r, from Anglo-French; Old French autor, from Latin, as above
Explanation
An author is a person who writes books or articles, usually for money. It can also refer to the person responsible for something, like the author of a plan to overthrow the student government. Author comes from the Latin word auctorem, meaning "founder, master, leader." Bow down to the author! Well, no need for that, just make sure the author gets credit. Author usually refers to a professional writer. In fact, author can be used interchangeably with the word writer. But author packs a little more punch — an author is involved in the creation of the work and generating the ideas behind it; strictly speaking, a writer could just execute the written product.
Vocabulary lists containing author
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 1
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Book Words for Book Worms
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
First author Michelle Kueppers, a postdoctoral scholar in Moerner's laboratory, explained that combining the strengths of different imaging approaches could help scientists answer previously inaccessible questions.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Comedian, author and mum-of-two Cariad Lloyd says it is a "rough" position for a child to find themselves in.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The author also enjoyed reviewing literature that featured cats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The study’s lead author even went so far as to say that the existing evidence for intermittent fasting doesn’t justify the hype seen on social media.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
One author has not hesitated to reach the obvious conclusion that a dastardly conspiracy must have been at work.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Like the paper’s authors, he cautioned against making premature conclusions about human health.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
The study’s authors emphasized that their research doesn’t prove that these chemical reactions are responsible for disease or damage in the human body.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
The authors pointed particularly to Brazil's deforestation action plan and increased enforcement in the country's Amazon.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The companies seeing more significant financial returns, the authors found, are those that have integrated AI most fully up and down the business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Biographers of great authors always try to track down the books their subjects read when they were young, because they know these sources hold the key to their development as writers.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Harabedian also has authored legislation that requires services to provide mortgage relief to January 2025 fire victims whose homes were destroyed or left uninhabitable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Former High Court justice Simon Moore, who authored the report, was the sole member of the inquiry.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
The addictive nature of autoplay and other features is “harmful, full stop, and that they’re not appropriate for the developing brain,” said Lowenthal, who authored the bill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Susan Spence, chair of the ISM manufacturing business survey, who authored the report, said in an interview that she’s “starting to see warning signs” that customers are not spending money on orders.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
As assistant editorial page editor of The Emory Wheel, he authored scores of commentaries.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
His career accomplishments include founding the National Museum of African American History and Culture and authoring numerous books, including one on the NMAAHC's creation.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Joining Elon Musk’s platform just days before his interview with Owens dropped, Biden began tweeting with relentless energy, sometimes authoring over 100 posts a day.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
In addition to authoring cookbooks “Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings” and “Food Gifts: 150+ Irresistible Recipes for Crafting Personalized Presents,” she hosted “The Walk-In” podcast and worked as a food stylist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026
The artists credited with creating Franklin and authoring his books did not respond to requests from the BBC for comment.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025
To be sure, men and women have long been authoring their own content, beginning with drawings on cave walls up through Gutenberg and the typewriter.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
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