Mencken

American

[meng-kuhn] / ˈmɛŋ kən /

noun

H(enry) L(ouis), 1880–1956, U.S. writer, editor, and critic.

Mencken British

/ ˈmɛŋkən /

noun

H ( enry ) L ( ouis ). 1880–1956, US journalist and literary critic, noted for The American Language (1919): editor of the Smart Set and the American Mercury, which he founded (1924)

"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

Other Word Forms

Menckenian

adjective

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:

Mencken

Mencken, the legendary journalist, said: “No one in this world…has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

Mencken said that “democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

Mencken recalled it as a favorite of Sunday school kids in his boyhood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026

In 1956, shortly before his death, Mencken went even further; “American journalism is predominantly paltry and worthless. Its pretensions are enormous, but its achievements are insignificant.”

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2025

I came finally to the editorial page and saw an article dealing with one H. L. Mencken.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023