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

Jumbotron footage sees the duo first appear in a brief clip from the show, before the camera cuts to live footage of the actors smiling in the stands. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 2025

Millie Bobby Brown continued to praise her Stranger Things co-star David Harbour amid a report that the actor bullied her on the set of the Netflix series. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 30 Nov. 2025

The Ozark actor shared this sweet pic filled with family cheer. —Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025

The Pontiff recently pursued some star power, welcoming actors and filmmakers like Cate Blanchett, Monica Bellucci, Spike Lee and more to his Apostolic Palace residence. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Nov. 2025

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

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