litterateur

noun

lit·​ter·​a·​teur ˌli-tə-rə-ˈtər How to pronounce litterateur (audio)
ˌli-trə-, 
-ˈtu̇r
variants or littérateur
Synonyms of litterateurnext
: a literary person
especially : a professional writer

Synonyms of litterateur

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Examples of litterateur in a Sentence

Washington Irving is generally credited as the first American litterateur to gain a reputation in Britain and on the Continent.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Clearly, by now — that is, 1835 — science had done enough to prove itself in the eyes of the litterateurs. — Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 7 Mar. 2025 Even his name, not to mention his author photo, had an aura of toughness more suggestive of a prizefighter than a litterateur. — Geoffrey O’Brien, The New York Review of Books, 18 Apr. 2019 The book was first published anonymously, and its authorship is consequently uncertain, though usually attributed to a minor poet and litterateur named Wu Cheng’en. — Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2021

Word History

Etymology

French littérateur, from Latin litterator critic, from litterae letters, literature

First Known Use

1806, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of litterateur was in 1806

Rhymes for litterateur

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Browse Nearby Words

littera scripta manet
litterateur
litterbag
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Cite this Entry

“Litterateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litterateur. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on litterateur

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about litterateur

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