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 actors learned how to sail and how to row and the boat’s 26-man crew were dressed as extras and incorporated into the movie. — Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

As the first actor to portray Chris, the Partridge family's youngest son and drummer, Jeremy Gelbwaks appeared on the series for just one season. — Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026

The Oscar-winning actor will receive the Golden Lion lifetime achievement award at the 83rd annual Venice Film Festival. — Hanna Rantala, USA Today, 6 July 2026

The wedding was attended by around 1,000 guests and was officiated by actor Adam Sandler, who starred with Travis in the 2026 movie, Happy Gilmore 2. — Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 6 July 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