auteur
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of auteur
1960–65; < French: literally, author, originator < Latin auctor. See author
Explanation
If you're an auteur, you make movies that show off your personal style and vision, and you make those movies exactly the way you want: you won’t let any studio executives force you to change the ending. The word auteur came into English from the French word of the same name, meaning literally “author.” If you’re an auteur, you are truly the author of your own movie. Most movies have a lot of different people contributing to the final product, but an auteur insists on having the final say, and hates it when her vision is compromised. The word even has an uppity feel and sound to it. Pronounce it "oh-TUR."
Vocabulary lists containing auteur
English Words Derived from French, List 9
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Ten Words from The New York Times - June 26, 2013
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Imposter Syndrome & Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim
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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.
Should the Auteur episode strike a few folks as more reminiscent of "Tropic Thunder" than "Apocalypse Now," that's probably deliberate.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2024
Some are obvious to any Hitchcock fan: the Murderer, the Womanizer, the Auteur, the Voyeur, the Entertainer.
From Washington Post • Apr. 22, 2021
Auteur is one of those words, like diva and masterpiece, that has been devalued to the point of redundancy.
From The Guardian • Mar. 23, 2018
In his famed 1962 essay, "Notes on the Auteur Theory," Andrew Sarris gave the highest praise to strong-willed directors like Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford, who stamped their movies with an unmistakable personal vision.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2014
Monsieur Wells, Auteur d’une histoire fine et romanesque Traduit par Davray; il a des idées C’est une chose rare là-bas .
From Masques & Phases by Ross, Robert
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.
