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
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 actor gave him the tickets after a video of Mamoud diving into a snowbank went viral.
—
Paul Burton, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
The West Wing actor and Little House on the Prairie star, 61, married in 2013.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
The Black Widow star, who previously held the title for highest-grossing actor of all time, has been dethroned by fellow Marvel star Zoe Saldaña, thanks to the latter's starring role in James Cameron's Avatar film series.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
Coming in second place with a total of nine nominations is Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, which garnered an outstanding motion picture nod and outstanding actor nomination for Denzel Washington, as well as supporting actor noms for A$AP Rocky and Jeffrey Wright.
—Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for actor
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Paul Burton, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
The West Wing actor and Little House on the Prairie star, 61, married in 2013.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
The Black Widow star, who previously held the title for highest-grossing actor of all time, has been dethroned by fellow Marvel star Zoe Saldaña, thanks to the latter's starring role in James Cameron's Avatar film series.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
Coming in second place with a total of nine nominations is Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, which garnered an outstanding motion picture nod and outstanding actor nomination for Denzel Washington, as well as supporting actor noms for A$AP Rocky and Jeffrey Wright.
—Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for actor
Cite this Entry
“Actor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actor. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
actor
noun
ac·tor
ˈak-tər 
: one that acts
especially
: a person who acts especially in a play or movie or on television
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