Wilde, Oscar (Fingal O'Flahertie Wills) (1854-1900), Irish dramatist, novelist, poet, and wit. His advocacy of 'art for art's sake' is evident in his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). As a dramatist he achieved success with the comedies Lady Windermere's Fan (1892) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). Wilde was imprisoned (1895-7) for homosexual offences and died in exile.