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
-
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:
Yingzi Cong, PhD, the Stanley Gradowski Professor of Gastroenterology and a professor of Microbiology-Immunology and of Pathology, was senior and co-corresponding author of the study.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
The author begins with the observation that all three monumental waterways originate near the Alpine pass of St. Gotthard, about 100 miles southeast of Basel, Switzerland.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
"I think William doesn't care about the pressure to reconcile," said royal author, Valentine Low.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The author is a writer and works in tech.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The author also derived implications of the seven propositions of early children education and movement responses to music.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Most Census Bureau reports identify the authors of the report and detail the reliability of the data they are using.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
The authors also explore the notion of “performative identity,” in which both sides of a conversation inevitably enact certain personae.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
They now have a small staff, an office in Oakland and count a Nobel Prizewinner, Jon Fosse, among their authors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
All of the study authors are affiliated with either the Glenn Biggs Institute or The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Okay, Curtis, here’s my question. What do these authors have in common?”
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
Little, who authored policy documents regarding underground critical infrastructure, external during the 1990s, adds, "It became obvious rather quickly that you can't put everything underground."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Dutta confirmed to MarketWatch that he authored the post.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Nearly four decades since he co-founded the biotech Regeneron, Yancopoulos has more than 1,000 patents worldwide, including 77 granted in the U.S., and has authored more than 500 scientific papers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
That was one of two starts of at least eight innings that he’s authored.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
"But surely he's not the same Dr. Bright who authored the Treatise on Melancholy!"
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
“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
When it came to telling Ono’s story, Sheff found himself at loggerheads over the ethics of authoring her biography.
From Salon ● Mar. 28, 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.
