costar

1 of 2

noun

co·​star ˈkō-ˌstär How to pronounce costar (audio)
variants or co-star
plural costars or co-stars
: one of two or more main performers who star in a movie, play, etc.
… the star seems more relaxed and confident, and there's a bracing snap to the byplay between him and his costars.Mark Harris

costar

2 of 2

verb

variants or co-star
costarred or co-starred; costarring or co-starring
1
transitive : to employ or present (someone) as one of two or more leading performers in a movie, play, etc.
Directed by Lasse Hallström … and costarring a fine ensemble …Leonora Langley
2
intransitive : to appear with another star in a movie, play, etc.

Examples of costar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Cohen, 57, delved into the personal lives of Plemons, his Bugonia costar Emma Stone and their director Yorgos Lanthimos. Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 John Stamos is defending his former Full House costar Lori Loughlin for her part in the 2019 college admissions scandal, blaming her ex-husband Mossimo Giannulli. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Gaby Hoffman, Marc Maron and David Krumholtz also costar in the film. Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025 Reba costars McEntire and Peterman served as bridesmaids. Eric King, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for costar

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of costar was in 1888

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Costar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costar. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on costar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!