Tolkien

American  

[tohl-keen, tol-] / ˈtoʊl kin, ˈtɒl- /

noun

1. J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) 1892–1973, English novelist, philologist, and teacher, born in South Africa.

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Tolkien British  

/ ˈtɒlkiːn /

noun

1. J ( ohn ) R ( onald ) R ( euel ). 1892–1973, British philologist and writer, born in South Africa. He is best known for The Hobbit (1937), the trilogy The Lord of the Rings (1954–55), and the posthumously published The Silmarillion (1977)

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Other Word Forms

• Tolkienesque adjective

Example Sentences

Tolkien used his scholarly familiarity with ancient storytelling modes to create a a world so vast it spills off of the page.

From The Wall Street Journal

Though John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s books are in no way a retelling of “Beowulf,” echoes of the Old English epic occur throughout.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tolkien’s renowned novels, form one of the most celebrated film franchises in history, earning multiple Academy Awards and a global fan base that bodes well for Netflix’s subscription numbers.

From Los Angeles Times

She also cooked up the idea to improvise some Elvish, the fictional language of J. R. R. Tolkien’s novels.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite writing about other worlds, realms and creatures, he insists he is not a fantasy writer, unlike JRR Tolkien, the author of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books.

From BBC