A writer of belles-lettres; a literary person who writes elegant and sophisticated works focused on beauty and style.
From French 'bellettriste,' derived from 'belles-lettres.' This entered English in the early 19th century as a term for someone dedicated to refined literature and artistic writing.
Being called a belletrist in the 1800s was basically being called 'too fancy'—it suggested you cared more about beautiful words than powerful ideas, though some of history's greatest writers proudly embraced the label.
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