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

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.

Example Sentences

Ms. Choyleva is founder and chief economist at Enodo Economics and the author of “Petrodollar to Digital Yuan: China, the Gulf and the 21st Century Path to De-Dollarization.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

"Asim Munir's diplomatic status was boosted by the war with India primarily and then his outreach in Washington DC," said Hassan Abbas, a Pakistani-American author of several books on the region's politics and security.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

“There’s no doubt they commanded respect,” said Ward Clayton, author of “The Legendary Caddies of Augusta National.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

"It's very exciting as a scientist to find something unexpected like this that we weren't looking for," said Daniel Katz, CU Boulder chemistry PhD student and lead author of the study.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

How was I supposed to know that he’s best friends with my favorite author?

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

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