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

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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 Harold & Kumar producer Greg Shapiro confirmed that the fourth instalment of the stoner buddy comedy franchise is still set to go ahead, with key writers and actors all lined up for the upcoming project. — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 7 July 2026 The Odyssey cast is stacked with heavy hitters, but only one actor evoked the type of reaction that Christopher Nolan hadn’t seen since Heath Ledger and The Dark Knight. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026 What has received less attention are the ways that Chinese actors are already exploiting existing AI tools—many of them American—to covertly expand China’s power around the world. — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 After splitting from Willet in 1984, the actor spent almost 35 years with his companion, Michelle Triola, until her death in 2009. — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 8 July 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
  • That said, the actress has a few staples in her routine that help enhance her glowy, youthful appearance.
    — Grace Scollo, InStyle, 4 July 2026
  • The first actress cast in the lead part of Captain Kathryn Janeway, Genevieve Bujold, quit after two days on the job.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
Definition of actress
Noun
  • Although one participant appeared remotely, on a large TV monitor, during the real interrogation, the theatrical version places all three figures in the same room.
    — Rhoda Feng, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • To file a claim, participants must fill out the claim form on the settlement website.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of participant
Noun
  • The performer and brother of pop star Ariana Grande was a shoo-in for the parts, having played them as far back as 2018.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • The data can be used for special effects work or as a reference for a video game artist creating a character around a performer.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
Definition of performer
Noun
  • Expansion opens white space faster than any single player can fill, and wider than any one would sensibly try to cover.
    — Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • Two points away from defeat, Ivanisevic rallies to beat Rafter 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7 and becomes the second player to win a Wimbledon singles title without being seeded.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of player
Noun
  • Instead, Hargitay learned at age 30 that her bio-dad was Italian entertainer Nelson Sardelli — Giovanna Sardelli’s father — with whom Mansfield had a brief relationship while separated from Mickey Hargitay in the early 1960s.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • There’s a difference between being an entertainer and an artist.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 July 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
  • Here are several of the most impressive ways these actors and their fellow thespians committed to doing their characters justice.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
  • Another group of budding young thespians have joined Prime Video‘s YA adaptation of Chloe Walsh‘s BookTok sensation Boys of Tommen.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 25 June 2026
Definition of thespian

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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 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on actor

Nglish: Translation of actor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about actor

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