dramatis personae

plural noun dra·ma·tis per·so·nae \ ˌdra-mə-təs-pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē , ˌdrä- , -ˌnī \

Updated on: 6 Apr 2018

Definition of dramatis personae

1 : the characters or actors in a drama

2 singular in construction : a list of the characters or actors in a drama

3 : people who figure prominently in something (such as an event)

Recent Examples of dramatis personae from the Web

The dramatis personae of this investigation are thus numerous, high-profile, monied and multi-national.

— nick hewlett, The New Republic, "Nicolas Sarkozy and the Weakness of Liberal Democracy," 27 Mar. 2018
The dramatis personae is rounded out by Mary Bennett (Naian González Norvind), a young actress new to this insular world.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: ‘Illyria’ Eavesdrops on a Young Joe Papp and Friends," 30 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dramatis personae.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dramatis personae

New Latin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1730

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year