actress

noun

ac·​tress ˈak-trəs How to pronounce actress (audio)
Synonyms of actressnext
: a woman or girl who is an actor
actressy adjective

Examples of actress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The actress, who marked the milestone on Tuesday, June 23, shared a photo and video from her festivities on Instagram. Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Reiner also adopted Tracy Reiner, 61, the daughter of his first wife, the late actress and filmmaker Penny Marshall. Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 June 2026 Her work in that show earned her an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in a limited series. Joe Otterson, Variety, 25 June 2026 At issue were actress Jessica Mann’s claims that Weinstein had forced himself on her in 2013. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for actress

Word History

Etymology

actor + -ess

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of actress was in 1586

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Actress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actress. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

actress

noun
ac·​tress ˈak-trəs How to pronounce actress (audio)
: a woman or girl who acts especially in a play or movie or on television

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