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

This year's recipients are actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, rock band KISS, and actor-singer Michael Crawford. —Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025

The actor, 66, spoke with PEOPLE in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness month in October. —Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025

During the first two decades after the Honors were founded, the recipients were mainly from the world of classical arts, with some notable exceptions, including actor James Cagney, actress Lucille Ball and film director Elia Kazan. —Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025

The 165-minute courtroom drama centers on Das, a tour guide played by veteran Bollywood actor Rawal. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Dec. 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