nonactor

noun

non·​ac·​tor ˌnän-ˈak-tər How to pronounce nonactor (audio)
 also  -ˌtȯr
: a person who is not an actor
… I'm still inspired by his improvisation, use of real life, use of real people, nonactorsJeff Goldblum

Examples of nonactor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For nonactors, preening in front of a camera with directors calling out emotions to convey merely with facial expressions and gestures can be cringe inducing. Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2018 Contrary to popular belief, the director did not, for the most part, use nonactors in this film; seasoned performers played the major roles. David Mermelstein, WSJ, 7 Aug. 2017 Willem Dafoe plays, with great grace, the motel manager, but the remainder of the cast members are almost all nonactors. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2017 Contrary to popular belief, the director did not, for the most part, use nonactors in this film David Mermelstein, WSJ, 7 Aug. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonactor was in 1935

Dictionary Entries Near nonactor

Cite this Entry

“Nonactor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonactor. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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