author

The word “author” means a person who writes a book, article, or other original work. In plain terms, the writer or creator of a book, article, or piece of work.

“Author” is pronounced AW-thuh (/ˈɔ.θɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “author” used in a sentence: “The author signed copies of her new novel at the bookshop.”

Depending on how it is used, “author” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “author” comes from Latin. From Old French autor, from Latin auctor ("originator, creator"). The "h" was added later by mistaken association with "authentic.".

“Author” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Author” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who writes a book, article, or other original work.

Every author is a writer, but not every writer is an author. 'Writer' describes anyone who writes, while 'author' specifically means the person credited as the originator of a particular work — a book, article, or story. The term stresses ownership and creation rather than the simple act of writing.

In principle, yes. Traditionally an author was someone whose work was accepted by a publishing house, but self-publishing now lets anyone release a book or article under their own name. What defines an author is having produced an original, completed work — not any formal qualification or permission.

Authors are usually grouped by what they write: novelists produce fiction, non-fiction authors cover fact-based subjects, and there are poets, playwrights, and academic authors. Others include ghostwriters, who write on someone else's behalf, and co-authors, who share credit for a single work with one or more collaborators.