costar

1 of 2

noun

co·​star ˈkō-ˌstär 

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

Noun

Unlike her costars, Maude Apatow’s Euphoria character, Lexi Howard, is defined by her platonic and familial relationships, such as the one with her childhood best friend, Rue, and her older sister, Cassie. —Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026

In the end, Friends was a career-defining project for Kudrow and her costars, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and the late Matthew Perry. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026

Verb

The Sheep Detectives costars Molly Gordon and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are ready for their close-up at the film's premiere on April 19 in New York City. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026

Also on hand were director Josh Greenbaum and newcomers Josh Gad and Lewis Pullman, who costars with his dad. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 2