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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.


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)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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 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

Like John le Carré, he creates his own jargon: safe houses are “coops,” spycraft is “artifice,” freelance agents are “units” and deep-cover moles are “termites.”

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 12, 2025

It's like being in a John le Carré novel.

From BBC May 23, 2025

This week, host June Thomas talks to writer Adam Sisman about his two biographies of the late spy novelist John le Carré.

From Slate Feb. 11, 2024

So the old magician obliged, cagily and engagingly, and if you don’t start a reread of your favorite le Carré book after a viewing, count me shocked.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 20, 2023

Le Carré released his first book Call for Murder while still working for MI5 in 1961.

From BBC Feb. 2, 2026

Le Carré, whose real name was David Cornwell, had a "tough childhood" after his mum left the family when he was five.

From BBC Feb. 2, 2026

“Graham Greene tells us that childhood is the credit balance of the writer,” Le Carré once reflected.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 26, 2026

Le Carré himself attended the University of Oxford, where he studied Modern Languages with a focus on German literature, graduating with a First-Class Honours degree in 1956.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 26, 2026

After the premiere of Season 1 at the Berlin International Film Festival, Le Carré sat across from Hiddleston, a twinkle in his eye, and said, “Perhaps there should be some more.”

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 11, 2026

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