animateur

[ an-uh-muh-tur, -cher ]

noun

1. a person who initiates, promotes, or helps to organize and manage community undertakings of various kinds:

   The animateur helped neighborhood parents and children with everything from designing the playground to final construction.

   The animateur joined forces with a composer and a team of musicians to help participants create and perform their own song cycle.

Word History and Origins

Origin of animateur¹

First recorded in 1945–50; from French, from Late Latin animātor; animator ( def )

Example Sentences

It became clear to us that he was the next animateur of the Center.

From New York Times

“Emmanuel Lubezki, who was nominated for an Oscar as cinematographer for New World”—he won for Gravity—“called me an animateur, and I like that better than fixer. It’s French for the person who makes things comes alive, makes things happen.”

From Slate

"The bassoon!" chorused a choir of small voices, some of whom had attended the pre-show workshop in which animateur Luke Crookes provided a masterclass in Prokofiev's kiddie classic.

From The Guardian

Last November, the ministry of employment came up with an official DJ designation—"animateur musicale et scenique".

From Wall Street Journal