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Proustian

American  
[proo-stee-uhn] / ˈpru sti ən /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or resembling Marcel Proust, his writings, or the middle-class and aristocratic worlds he described.


Proustian British  
/ ˈpruːstɪən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Marcel Proust, his works, or his style

"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

noun

  1. an admirer of Marcel Proust's works

"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

Etymology

Origin of Proustian

First recorded in 1925–30; Proust + -ian

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:

These are not novels that pull you forward so much as hold you in place—patient, thorough evocations of a vanished world, almost Proustian at times, especially as they progress.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 3, 2026

While for Palestinians themselves, he hopes that it’s a way to reconnect with their roots in a Proustian rush of memory triggered by an aroma.

From BBC Nov. 29, 2024

Capote, who died in 1984 shortly before his 60th birthday, spent much of his latter years struggling to write his planned Proustian masterpiece “Answered Prayers,” of which only excerpts were released.

From Seattle Times Sep. 21, 2023

There's Callier, a bar that can inspire Proustian reveries across generations of Eurail clutching backpackers.

From Salon Aug. 13, 2023

I stop in every once in awhile, not just to conjure up Proustian memories but because the no-frills menu — tacos, burritos, sopes, quesadillas, with menudo on Sundays — is still delicious.

From Los Angeles Times May 4, 2023

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