player

noun

play·​er ˈplā-ər How to pronounce player (audio)
: one that plays: such as
a
: a person who plays a game
a baseball player
a chess player
She's one of the team's best players.
b
: a person who plays a musical instrument
a piano player
c
: actor
… what drew these audiences was the emergence of the movie star from the ranks of the wholly anonymous players of a decade earlier.David Nasaw
d
: a device that reproduces recorded material (such as video images or music) from a usually specified medium
a CD player
e
: one actively involved especially in a competitive field or process : participant
a key player in politics
f
or less commonly playa US slang : a person and especially a man who has many lovers
Handsome and a well-paid professional, Keith, 35, chose to be a player, juggling a series of relatively brief and sometimes over-lapping intimate relationships with women.Michel Marriott
This album has a lot of sexual references. It's almost like Bobby's … a playa.Elliott Wilson

Note: The variant playa is more common in transcribed speech.

Examples of player in a Sentence

She's one of the team's best players. The band's lead guitar player hurt his hand and couldn't play. Piano players are called pianists.
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.
If a player is left in a room, they will be stuck there, losing a point each round, until another player returns to the room to release them. Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025 The offensive line features two back-end-of-the roster players — Larry Borom and Kion Smith — who are handling starting roles. Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025 If the team is reeling and injuries are rearing their ugly head once again, leading to a disappointing record, then there’s a chance because only a select player or two are untouchable. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025 Another member of the cast, Teyana Taylor, who was married to former Kings player Iman Shumpert from 2016 to 2024, attended multiple Kings games while the film was in-production and lit the beam after a win. Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for player

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of player was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Player.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/player. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

player

noun
play·​er ˈplā-ər How to pronounce player (audio)
1
a
: a person who plays a game
b
c
: actor
2
: a device for playing recorded material (as music)
an MP3 player

More from Merriam-Webster on player

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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