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• le Carré
  le Carré

  noun

  John David John Moore Cornwell, 1931–2020, English author of spy novels.
• Le Carré
  Le Carré

  noun

  John, real name David John Cornwell. born 1931, English novelist, esp of spy thrillers such as The Spy who came in from the Cold (1963), Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974), Smiley's People (1980), The Tailor of Panama (1996), and The Mission Song (2006)

le Carré

American  

[luh ka-rey] / lə kæˈreɪ /

noun

1. John David John Moore Cornwell, 1931–2020, English author of spy novels.

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Le Carré British  

/ lə ˈkæreɪ /

noun

1. John, real name David John Cornwell. born 1931, English novelist, esp of spy thrillers such as The Spy who came in from the Cold (1963), Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974), Smiley's People (1980), The Tailor of Panama (1996), and The Mission Song (2006)

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Example Sentences

Simon Cornwell, executive producer of the popular spy series, said his late father John le Carré "could never quite shake the character of his father off" when writing the book's villain, Roper.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

The spy-thriller miniseries “The Night Manager,” based on the John le Carré novel, won over critics and audiences when it aired way back in 2016.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

But these convoluted John le Carré diversions are not engaging, and the attempts to enrich the characters are clunky.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

As Gadd points out, the sophisticated tension of author John le Carré this is not.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2024

Writer Adam Sisman discusses his two books about the spy novelist John le Carré and the ample access that made them possible.

From Slate • Feb. 11, 2024