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
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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:
The author of the BCA note, Doug Peta, said that in the early 1980s, the value of equity portfolios and mutual fund holdings was far less than half of households’ disposable income.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
"This was the real surprise," says first author Caroline Zeidler from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
The paper has not yet been peer-reviewed, and the author has denied the allegations, publicly saying she does not believe that generative AI belongs in the writing process.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Lead author Dr. Alberto Cruz did not set out to discover a new species.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
The author and her Roots & Shoots friends in Connecticut.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
But self-published authors are far from the only writers using these tools.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Agents, who act as the intermediary between authors and publishers, have found themselves on the front lines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 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
According to a 2025 parliamentary report, 97% of people are annoyed by telemarketing calls, with the authors wryly noting it is "one of those rare issues that unites people in France".
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
The authors also share an attitude: they do not hide the passion and relish that drive them to tell us about their subjects.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Dutta confirmed to MarketWatch that he authored the post.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Data “help people find order and systemize an incredibly chaotic process,” said Wang, who authored a study on self-datafication and dating spreadsheets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Blumenfield, who authored a motion to start the process, called the law, along with its punishments of a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, “uncommonly silly.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The blueprint has been authored, external by the Re:State think tank which Burnham was involved with until he stepped down as mayor of Greater Manchester.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Mason authored the first series book based on the rote method in 1864 called The Song Garden.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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
Capriglione has emerged as the chamber’s leading voice on technology-related bills, including chairing the Innovation and Technology Caucus and authoring the Data Privacy and Security Act of 2023.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2025
Roberts said he doesn’t expect Ohtani to steal as many bases as he did last year, when the 30-year-old swiped 59 bags while authoring baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 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.
