comedian

noun

co·​me·​di·​an kə-ˈmē-dē-ən 

1

archaic

a

: a writer of comedies

b

: an actor who plays comic roles

2

: a comical individual

specifically : a professional entertainer who uses any of various physical or verbal means to be amusing

Synonyms

• card
• comic
• droll
• farceur
• funnyman
• gagger
• gagman
• gagster
• humorist
• jester
• joker
• jokester
• wag
• wit

Examples of comedian in a Sentence

You'll like my friend. He's a real comedian.

struggled to eke out a living as a comedian in nightclubs

Recent Examples on the Web

Actor, comedian and podcaster Paul Scheer will be there to introduce the movie. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2024

In Bill Maher’s new book, What This Comedian Said Will Shock You, the activist’s disingenuous claim to the profession of comedian is a surprise. —Armond White, National Review, 7 June 2024

In the series, a struggling comedian is stalked by a woman who sends him hundreds of hours of voice mails and over 40,000 emails. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 7 June 2024

Cosmetics, offers a confidence boost via motivational chats with everyone from actors and comedians to athletes and beauty pros. —Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

comedian

noun

co·​me·​di·​an kə-ˈmēd-ē-ən 

1

: an actor who plays in comedy

2

: a comical individual

especially : a humorous professional entertainer