auteur theory
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of auteur theory
First recorded in 1960–65
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.
Any movie lover with half a mind knows that the auteur theory is bunk.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
It imported the auteur theory from France to the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2024
The late film critic Andrew Sarris introduced the auteur theory to much of the world in the 1960s, adapting an idea from French New Wave cinema.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 10, 2022
“But there’s a misunderstanding about the auteur theory, too.”
From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2020
Mangold is rarely an exciting director, but he’s matured into an accomplished journeyman, like the Hollywood directors who were revered before the auteur theory shifted the criteria.
From Slate • Nov. 15, 2019
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
