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

Talks for the Dune and Guardians of the Galaxy thespian joining the Amazon MGM Studios sequel haven’t even begun. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 June 2025

Even Izzard’s brief epilogue, charmingly dedicating the performance to a fellow thespian, crackles with more verve than the most famous of soliloquies. —Karen D'souza, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Chapel takes to the job in grand thespian style, playing characters, improvising and analyzing motives through character analysis. —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025

The thespian arts, as noted earlier, are in his blood. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 20 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 2