actor

noun

ˈak-tər How to pronounce actor (audio)
Definition of actornext
1
as in actress
one who acts professionally (as in a play, movie, or television show) my sister went to drama school to become an actor

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in participant
one who takes part in something Benjamin Franklin was a major actor in many of the events leading up to the founding of our nation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of actor He was brought onto the stage by one of the great actors, Steve McQueen, who was so gifted in the art of film acting, stillness, and inner life. — Wengel Gemu, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026 The actor wore a casual ponytail with a center part, loose front strands, and volume at the crown. — María Diez, Glamour, 3 Nov. 2026 Disrupt Entertainment is producing new English language dubs with human actors providing the voices. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026 In his Time essay, Baron Cohen sounded more like an activist than an actor and filmmaker. — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for actor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actor
  1. actress
  2. participant
  3. performer
  4. player
  5. entertainer
  6. participator
  7. thespian
Noun
  • The All’s Fair actress, 46, shared a throwback photo of herself as a teenager cuddling with Jenner as a baby and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2026
  • An urgent call is placed to Paris requesting a colorful Dior gown for the actress, sending Christian Dior and his team of seamstresses into a race against the clock.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of actress
Noun
  • Study participants who were dehydrated after working out in the heat were given water to drink.
    — Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Study participants were also treated aggressively in other ways to drive down their LDL cholesterol and get blood pressure readings into a healthy range.
    — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of participant
Noun
  • Parker is her own incredibly talented, idiosyncratic, unique performer in the way that everyone else in the cast is.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Ortiz and another performer, Magdellena Romero, were arrested.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of performer
Noun
  • The synergy between the two players stood out as Edmonds connected with Robinson for a number of big shots.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Four players scored in double-figures, Tre White leading the way with 22 points on 9-12 shooting and three 3-pointers.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of player
Noun
  • Becoming Richard Pryor by Scott Saul Richard Pryor was a genius, a revolutionary, and such a truthful entertainer.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2026
  • So, the entertainer opted to go a different route by donating it to the state and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of entertainer
Noun
  • And in doing so, Gunther often lulls crowds into becoming sporting event spectators rather than the raucous participators that most other wrestlers try to draw out of them.
    — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Definition of participator
Noun
  • Then Erika runs into her ex-husband, a theater legend who was once Hermann Göring’s favorite thespian and helped push Nazi propaganda leading up to the war.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Marion Bailey, as Amy’s mother, has already emerged from Telluride as a standout, a veteran thespian never given her proper due.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of thespian

Browse Nearby Words

activity
actor
actorish
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Cite this Entry

“Actor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actor. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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