actor

noun

ac·​tor ˈak-tər 

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

ˈak-tə-rish 

adjective

actorly

ˈak-tər-lē 

adjective

Synonyms of actor

• actress
• performer
• entertainer
• thespian

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 Times reached out to the actor’s representatives for details including the birth date and gender of the child but did not hear back. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Even as an able-bodied actor playing an able-bodied role, Brill felt the power of that. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2026

The origin story is much more about us as filmmakers and actors coming together, and the project was born out of that. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2026

To play Stallone, Ippolito explored the hardships that shaped — and fueled — the older actor, including a difficult childhood, limited parental support and a profound sense of isolation. — ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026

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

Phrases Containing actor

• bad actor
• character actor
• co-actor
• method actor

Rhymes for actor

• acter
• factor
• tractor
• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• impactor
• protractor

Kids Definition

actor

noun

ac·​tor ˈak-tər 

: one that acts

especially : a person who acts especially in a play or movie or on television