author

noun

The originator or creator of a work, especially of a literary composition; or, one of the creators of a collaborative work.

Someone who writes books for a living.

(US copyright law) The initial owner of the copyright to a work, especially a work made for hire or a work of corporate authorship.

(figurative) The creator or cause of anything.

(obsolete, criminal law) Principal; the primary participant in a crime.

(archaic) One's authority for something: an informant.

verb

(chiefly US, sometimes proscribed) To create a work as its author.

Roots

auctorauth- · Latin · originator, author

Synonyms for author

writern authoressn novelistn coauthorn essayistn scenaristn scriptwritern dramatistn poetn monographern columnistn reviewern

Synonyms & related words for author

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of author — including writer, authoress, novelist, coauthor, essayist, scenarist. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to author

Explore words related to author — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include auctorial, authorial, auteur, fictionist, writes, allonym, literator, authorship. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for author

Common synonyms for author include writer, authoress, novelist, coauthor, essayist, scenarist, scriptwriter, dramatist — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does author come from?

The word author breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root auth-, from Latin auctor (“originator, author”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.