author

American  

[aw-ther] / ˈɔ θər /

noun

1. a person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of a literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.

2. the literary production or productions of a writer.

   to find a passage in an author.

3. the maker of anything; creator; originator.

   the author of a new tax plan.

4. Computers. the writer of a software program, especially a hypertext or multimedia application.

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verb (used with object)

1. to write; be the author of.

   He authored a history of the Civil War.

2. to originate; create a design for.

   She authored a new system for teaching chemistry.

author British  

/ ɔːˈθɔːrɪəl, ˈɔːθə /

noun

1. a person who composes a book, article, or other written work

2. a person who writes books as a profession; writer

3. the writings of such a person

   reviewing a postwar author

4. an originator or creator

   the author of this plan

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verb

1. to write or originate

Other Word Forms

• authorial adjective
• authorless adjective
• multiauthored adjective
• proauthor adjective

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” ( augment ) + -tor -tor; replacing Middle English auto(u)r, from Anglo-French; Old French autor, from Latin, as above

Example Sentences

California is among those jurisdictions, one of 11 states that have not authorized state-sanctioned sports betting since a 2018 decision by the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Stories that he and several Journal colleagues authored on violent crime during the pandemic earned awards from the New York Press Club and the National Association of Black Journalists in 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal

"What's so exciting is that we're seeing a preview of what will become a very normal planetary system," says John Livingston, the study's lead author from the Astrobiology Center in Tokyo, Japan.

From Science Daily

"Termites evolved from cockroach ancestors that started living inside and eating wood," said Professor Nathan Lo from the University of Sydney's School of Life and Environmental Sciences, a senior author on the paper.

From Science Daily

Still, the Brisbane speech, which rears its sombreroed head into any Google search of the author, marked a shift in the way Shriver engaged with the world.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• biographer
• columnist
• composer
• creator
• journalist
• poet
• producer
• reporter
• writer