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
-
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:
“When we look at aging, people talk about living longer. But we should be talking about living longer without disease,” Lu Qi, lead author of the study and professor at Tulane University, told Marketwatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
First author Abdullah Kahraman said the combination of methods was essential.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
James Cleverly said the author and politician had been "a huge personality and fantastic storyteller", and that he had been very supportive when his wife Suzie was recovering from cancer.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
“To his dying day,” the author writes, “it will give Britton much pleasure to pace around his house in Heinrich Himmler’s very comfortable pair of slippers.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The author and her Roots & Shoots friends in Connecticut.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
A third novel, published in 1984, First Among Equals, about a cutthroat competition to become Prime Minister, cemented Archer's position as one of Britain's best-selling and highest earning authors.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Who, if not artists, are the authors of the public imagination?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Dr. Pietras and Dr. Craig T. Jordan are both co-lead authors of the study.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
But back in the ’60s, he was Chuck to the writers he met up with in Chicago bars to read drafts and debate the merits of their favorite Southern authors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
He wanders past graves belonging to philosophers and poets, authors whose books he knows from his grandmother’s library.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
During the February meeting, Horvath, who authored the initial motion, said that binding arbitration would promote transparency and push the sides to reach a deal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
That led to further work on the BBC and Channel 4, a newspaper column, and the publication of more than 20 books about gardening authored by Don.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 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
One day before, Meta published a blog post, authored by Mosseri, about rolling out new safety features for teens.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
So now I risked everything, confronting fate and the knowledge that I had authored my own demise.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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
“Change” exerted on another through force robs the receiving party of the dignity of authoring their own life path.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 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
He led the major leagues in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in 2025, all while authoring his fourth 50-homer campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 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
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.
