comedian

noun

co·​me·​di·​an kə-ˈmē-dē-ən 

1

archaic

a

: a writer of comedies

b

: an actor who plays comic roles

2

: a comical individual

specifically : a professional entertainer who uses any of various physical or verbal means to be amusing

Synonyms of comedian

• comic
• entertainer
• joker
• humorist
• wit
• funnyman
• clown

Examples of comedian in a Sentence

You'll like my friend. He's a real comedian.

struggled to eke out a living as a comedian in nightclubs

Recent Examples on the Web

Cohen honed her act at the forefront of a clique of comedians who performed cabaret comedy, often at Club Cumming, in the late 2010s. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 July 2026

Laugh out loud with Ray, a seasoned comedian and actor from Seattle who has appeared across television, film and digital platforms. — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 27 July 2026

Maybe these slippages only matter to the Whoopi obsessives who know too much about her fractal aspect, as host, actor, comedian, playwright, producer, activist, and the rest. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

Jobrani rose to fame as a comedian and continues to tour and record specials to this day. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for comedian

• paramedian
• submedian

Kids Definition

comedian

noun

co·​me·​di·​an kə-ˈmēd-ē-ən 

1

: an actor who plays in comedy

2

: a comical individual

especially : a humorous professional entertainer