animateur

noun

an·​i·​ma·​teur ˌa-nə-mə-ˈtər 

plural animateurs

: someone who leads and encourages participation in a particular activity and especially in a cultural or artistic activity

Like other animateurs, he juggles several projects at once: last year … he was working with youth groups preparing a children's opera … at the same time, he was working with the … Community Choir as well as leading other school projects.

—Edward Marriott, Music Magazine, 1 Feb. 2004

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from animer "to animate entry 2" + -ateur -ator

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

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