auteur theory WORD ORIGIN noun (in film criticism) a theory that the director is the chief creator of a film and gives it an individual style that is evident in all aspects of the finished product. Liberaldictionary.com Is It Time For All Couples To Use The Term Partner? Can You Translate These Famous Phrases From Emoji? These Are the Longest Words in English These Are the Saddest Phrases in English Origin of auteur theory First recorded in 1960–65 Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019