pamphleteer

1 of 2

noun

: a writer of pamphlets attacking something or urging a cause

pamphleteer

2 of 2

verb

pamphleteered; pamphleteering; pamphleteers

intransitive verb

1
: to write and publish pamphlets
2
: to engage in partisan arguments indirectly in writings

Did you know?

Pamphlets—unbound printed publications with no covers or with paper covers—are published about all kinds of subjects, but our word pamphlet traces back to one particular document. It derives from the title of a short Latin love poem of the 12th century: Pamphilus, seu De Amore, which can be translated as "Pamphilus, or On Love." The name Pamphilus referred to a Greek god whose name means "loved by all." Following from this, the original pamphlets were handwritten poems, tracts, or treatises, often consisting of several pages bound together. Pamphleteer, which can be both a noun and a verb, combines pamphlet with the -eer suffix found in such words as engineer and puppeteer.

Examples of pamphleteer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
By Timothy O'Grady July 8, 2024 Belfast: city of riveters, inventors, linen mill girls, boxers, pamphleteers, revolutionaries, Lambeg drummers, Irish bagpipers, mission hall preachers, and mustachioed burghers with pocket watches. Timothy O'Grady, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1614, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pamphleteer was in 1614

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Cite this Entry

“Pamphleteer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pamphleteer. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

pamphleteer

noun
pam·​phle·​teer
ˌpam(p)-flə-ˈti(ə)r
: a writer of pamphlets usually attacking something or urging a cause
pamphleteer verb

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