An Author Increases Something
An author writes a work. The Latin root means to make grow, which is a generous way to describe writing.
An author is the writer of a book or the originator of an idea. The Latin *auctor* comes from *augere*, to increase or make grow — the same root as *augment* and *auction*, where the price grows. An author was originally anyone who caused something to come into being, which is why the word also means the source of a plan or crime.
- A writer. *A best-selling author.*
- The originator of something. *The author of the scheme.*
- To write. *She authored three books.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | author | A prolific author. |
| Plural | authors | Joint authors. |
| Verb | author | He authored the report. |
| Noun | authorship | Disputed authorship. |
| Related | authority | Legal authority. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The author signed copies.Writer.
- He was the author of his own misfortune.The cause of it.
- Authorship of the play is disputed.Who actually wrote it.
Words from *augere*
- Augment — to increase
- Auction — where bids grow
- Auxiliary — helping, adding to
- August — venerable; and the month named for Augustus
- Authority — the power of one who originates
From Latin *auctor*, originator, from *augere*, to increase. The *th* spelling was added in the fifteenth century by mistaken analogy with Greek words.
Is *author* acceptable as a verb?
Yes, though some editors prefer wrote. It is most at home for reports, bills and papers with several contributors.
Why the h in author?
It was inserted by scribes who wrongly assumed a Greek origin. The Latin word has no h.