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.

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Proustian British  

/ ˈpruːstɪən /

adjective

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

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noun

1. an admirer of Marcel Proust's works

Etymology

Origin of Proustian

First recorded in 1925–30; Proust + -ian

Example Sentences

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

The Mazapan tasted just like its namesake candy, a powdered peanut confection that holds a Proustian power over me.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2022

I recently attempted a knockoff recipe, and while it was quite good in its own right, it didn't strike that Proustian chord of recognition in my heart.

From Salon • Jul. 17, 2022