protean

adjective pro·te·an \ ˈprō-tē-ən , prō-ˈtē- \

|Updated on: 23 Jul 2018

Examples: protean in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of protean

1 : of or resembling Proteus in having a varied nature or ability to assume different forms

2 : displaying great diversity or variety : versatile

See protean defined for English-language learners

See protean defined for kids

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Examples of protean in a Sentence

a protean actor who is equally comfortable with light comedy and serious drama

Recent Examples of protean from the Web

Philip Roth, the prolific, protean, and often blackly comic novelist who was a pre-eminent figure in 20th-century literature, died on Tuesday night at a hospital in Manhattan.

— New York Times, "Philip Roth, Towering Novelist Who Explored Lust, Jewish Life and America, Dies at 85," 22 May 2018
China’s vast, protean economy is certainly difficult to enumerate.

— The Economist, "China’s statistics are bad. Many criticisms of them are worse," 7 July 2018
In a bilateral summit, the German chancellor and French president agreed to work toward some protean form of eurowide fiscal union.

— joseph c. sternberg, WSJ, "Don’t Count on an Aging Germany to Save the Euro," 21 June 2018
Roth’s output was protean, too wide, too deep and too fervent to truly capture in an appraisal of this length, composed overnight after learning of his death late the previous evening.

— New York Times, "Philip Roth, a Born Spellbinder and Peerless Chronicler of Sex and Death," 23 May 2018
In the years since, Assayas has become a critical and art-house favorite, as well as perhaps the most protean and cosmopolitan of working French filmmakers.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "'Cold Water,' Olivier Assayas' brilliant 1994 film, finally arrives in the U.S.," 17 May 2018
Not only do the reedist’s striated, razor-sharp improvisations cut through the din like butter, her slashing, protean playing seems to inspire her partners toward even greater extremes.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "Punishing improvisation duo Tashi Dorji & Tyler Damon traffics in pure sound," 8 Mar. 2018
John Iacovelli's protean set beautifully accommodates the play's various locales.

— f. kathleen foley, latimes.com, "Battered souls line up at the bar in 'The Alamo'," 2 Mar. 2018
Ray Thomas, a founding member of the protean British rock group the Moody Blues, died on Thursday at his home in Surrey, south of London.

— daniel e. slotnik, New York Times, "Ray Thomas, Founding Member of the Moody Blues, Dies at 76," 7 Jan. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Proteus was the original master of disguise. According to Greek mythology, the grizzled old shepherd of Poseidon's sea creatures possessed the gift of prophecy but didn't like to share his knowledge. Proteus would escape those who wanted to question him by changing his shape. The only way to get a straight answer from him was to sneak up behind him during his midday nap and hold onto him (while he frantically changed from shape to shape) until he eventually revealed what he knew. The adjective "protean" describes anyone or anything that is as mutable and adaptable as the mythological shepherd.

First Known Use of protean

1594

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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protean Synonyms

Synonyms

adaptable, all-around (also all-round), universal, versatile;

Near Antonyms

limited;

amateur, inexperienced;

well-rounded;

able, ace, adept, experienced, expert, masterful, proficient, skilled, skillful;

adjustable, alterable, changeable, elastic, flexible, fluid, malleable, modifiable, plastic, pliable, pliant, supple, variable;

Other Mythology and Folklore Terms

elysian, fay, muse, nimbus, phoenix

PROTEAN Defined for English Language Learners

protean

adjective

Definition of protean for English Language Learners

: able to change into many different forms or able to do many different things

Medical Dictionary

protean

adjective pro·te·an \ ˈprōt-ē-ən, prō-ˈtē- \

medical Definition of protean

: displaying great diversity or variety

a disease with protean clinical manifestations

protean

noun pro·te·an \ ˈprōt-ē-ən \

medical Definition of protean

: any of various insoluble primary protein derivatives that result from a slight modification of the protein molecule especially by the action of water, very dilute acids, or enzymes