comedian

noun

co·​me·​di·​an kə-ˈmē-dē-ən 

1

archaic

a

: a writer of comedies

b

: an actor who plays comic roles

2

: a comical individual

specifically : a professional entertainer who uses any of various physical or verbal means to be amusing

Synonyms of comedian

• comic
• entertainer
• joker
• humorist
• wit
• funnyman
• clown

Examples of comedian in a Sentence

You'll like my friend. He's a real comedian.

struggled to eke out a living as a comedian in nightclubs

Recent Examples on the Web

To set up his seed round, so to speak, the comedian spent $5,000 on lawyers. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026

Brand made a name for himself on British television as a TV presenter and as a stand-up comedian. — Adela Suliman, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2026

The comedian, actor, and YouTuber spent three weeks on trial at Southwark Crown Court in London. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2026

Only classic screwball comedians have delivered dialogue as blithely as Malkovich does here, with zingers that float off unburdened by the heaviness of the real world. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for comedian

• paramedian
• submedian

Kids Definition

comedian

noun

co·​me·​di·​an kə-ˈmēd-ē-ən 

1

: an actor who plays in comedy

2

: a comical individual

especially : a humorous professional entertainer