auteur

American  

[oh-tur, oh-tœr] / oʊˈtɜr, oʊˈtœr /

noun

plural

auteurs

1. a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal and unique stamp.

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auteur British  

/ ɔːˈtɜː /

noun

1. a director whose creative influence on a film is so great as to be considered its author

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Other Word Forms

• auteurism noun
• auteurist adjective

Etymology

Origin of auteur

1960–65; < French: literally, author, originator < Latin auctor. See author

Explanation

If you're an auteur, you make movies that show off your personal style and vision, and you make those movies exactly the way you want: you won’t let any studio executives force you to change the ending. The word auteur came into English from the French word of the same name, meaning literally “author.” If you’re an auteur, you are truly the author of your own movie. Most movies have a lot of different people contributing to the final product, but an auteur insists on having the final say, and hates it when her vision is compromised. The word even has an uppity feel and sound to it. Pronounce it "oh-TUR."

Example Sentences

Squarespace is the venue for the latest collaboration between Emma Stone and auteur director Yorgos Lanthimos.

From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026

Their cultural blinders were imposed on an entire nation, which is why it was so difficult for Latin music, auteur cinema and rap to force their way into the mainstream.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

“Father Mother Sister Brother” is here to commiserate, but because the veteran indie auteur remains a sharp chronicler of the quotidian, he has no patience for sentimentality or pat resolutions.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

Then again, auspicious deals like the one “Sinners” auteur Ryan Coogler secured under the old Warner Bros. may be less attainable under this new regime.

From Salon • Dec. 10, 2025

Relevant here, of course, is Foucault’s famous discussion of the author function: ‘Qu’est-ce qu’un auteur?’

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton