actor

noun

ac·​tor ˈak-tər How to pronounce actor (audio)
 also  -ˌtȯr
1
: one that acts : doer
2
a
: one who acts in a play, movie, television show, etc.
b
: one who behaves as if acting a part
3
: one that takes part in any affair : participant
political actors
actorish adjective
actorly adjective

Examples of actor in a Sentence

my sister went to drama school to become an actor Benjamin Franklin was a major actor in many of the events leading up to the founding of our nation.
Recent Examples on the Web The final season kicked off on Feb. 15, as its premiere was delayed by the production shutdown caused by the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023. Joe Otterson, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 The star is the youngest of the top 10 names on the 2023 list, disabusing the notion that there are no replacements for the actors who can open a movie around the globe but who are now in their 50s, 60s and 70s (Dwayne Johnson, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Hanks) or 80s (Harrison Ford). Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024 But several other notable actors appeared in the film in smaller roles, like Joshua Jackson, Christine Baranski, Tara Reid and Sean Patrick Thomas. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Who is the actor playing young Gibbs in 'NCIS: Origins'? Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 The actor is also nominated for best supporting actor. Paul Grein, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2024 Security video has documented the insurrection in harrowing detail, but there’s something terrifying in hearing the play-by-play directly from an actor embodying one of the participants. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 However, Hawes also wanted the U.K. industry to secure the kinds of protections the actors and writers guild in the United States achieved last summer during the dual strikes. Elizabeth Stanton, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2024 Cruise has been nominated twice for best actor, in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July (1990) and Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire (1997), and once for supporting actor in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia (2000). Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'actor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English actour "doer, pleader," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin āctor, from agere "to drive (cattle), cause to move, do" + -tor, agent suffix — more at agent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of actor was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near actor

Cite this Entry

“Actor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actor. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

actor

noun
ac·​tor ˈak-tər How to pronounce actor (audio)
: one that acts
especially : a person who acts especially in a play or movie or on television

More from Merriam-Webster on actor

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