actor

noun ac·tor \ ˈak-tər also -ˌtȯr \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Examples: actor in a Sentence

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

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actorish

play \-tə-rish\ adjective

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actorly

play \-tər-lē\ adjective

See actor defined for English-language learners

See actor defined for kids

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 of actor from the Web

Netflix's The Kissing Booth, which is about a teenager who falls for her best friend's older brother, proved just that when fans realized the two lead actors, Joey King and Jacob Elordi, were actually dating in real life.

— kathryn lindsay, refinery29.com, "This Fun Detail Is Why Everyone's Obsessed With Netflix's The Kissing Booth," 18 June 2018
His Canton speech remains a classic of American dissent -- the actor Mark Ruffalo gave a dramatic reading from it in 2007.

— erick trickey, Smithsonian, "When America’s Most Prominent Socialist Was Jailed for Speaking Out Against World War I," 15 June 2018
Finn Wolfhard may best be known for his role on Netflix's Stranger Things, but diehard fans also know that music has a very big role in the young actor's life.

— lauren rearick, Teen Vogue, "Finn Wolfhard's Band's First Shows Were "Cringey" Because Fans Screamed "Stranger Things" References," 15 June 2018
Most of the scenes were shot in and towns around the Carbondale, and the actors came from the St. Louis area, Kentucky and Tennessee.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Naperville native's film to be released on Amazon this month," 14 June 2018
The actor lost his autistic son, Jett, to seizures at age 16.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "John Travolta talks about 'Gotti' and whether Sandy is really dead in 'Grease'," 14 June 2018
There, the actors aboard brooms appeared crisper and borderline 3-D. Or maybe that was the butterbeer talking.

— dewayne bevil, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Looking for coaster clues, high-def Harry Potter, more at Islands of Adventure," 13 June 2018
Because besides his comments, which were only a terse interlude before the actor launched into his prewritten introduction of Bruce Springsteen, De Niro didn’t say anything at all.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "Robert De Niro’s Toothless Protest," 11 June 2018
Vince Vaughn‘s mugshot has been released after the actor was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning for a DUI and resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer.

— melody chiu, ajc, "Vince Vaughn grins in mugshot released after DUI arrest in California," 11 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'actor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of actor

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year