thespian

1 of 2

noun

thes·​pi·​an ˈthe-spē-ən 

: actor

thespian

2 of 2

adjective

1

often capitalized [from the tradition that Thespis was the originator of the actor's role] : relating to the drama : dramatic

2

capitalized : of or relating to Thespis

Did you know?

Greek drama was originally entirely performed by choruses. According to tradition, the Greek dramatist Thespis, of the 6th century B.C., was the inventor of tragedy and the first to write roles for the individual actor as distinct from the chorus, and the actor's exchanges with the chorus were the first dramatic dialogue. Since Thespis himself performed the individual parts in his own plays, he was also the first true actor. Ever since choruses disappeared from drama, thespians have filled all the roles in plays. Thespian is also an adjective; thus, we can speak of "thespian ambitions" and "thespian traditions", for example.

Synonyms

Noun

• actor
• actress
• performer

Examples of thespian in a Sentence

Noun

a renowned thespian and director

although she's “acted” in a couple of horror movies, I'd hardly call her one of our more promising thespians

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For the last full week of June, the thespians have taken over. —Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 11 July 2025

During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Chestnut was asked about his thoughts on LeBron James, prompting the thespian to predict that popular opinion will eventually favor James over Jordan in the near future. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 24 Mar. 2025

Adjective

And Paul Mescal has managed to become a target of heartthrob-hunting paparazzi while being taken seriously as a thespian — even as the middling Gladiator II left his movie-star bona fides in question. —Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 2 June 2025

In the days to follow, Lisa clashes with her thespian stepmom (Jenifer Lewis) about the over-the-top funeral arrangements. —Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 5 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 2