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

Farrell saw such a complex character as an appealing opportunity for a thespian. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025

The Delacorte has long been a north star for thespians—try to count how many of your actor friends on Instagram have liked that one photo of Meryl Streep rehearsing Taming of the Shrew there in 1978. —Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2025

Adjective

Like Jay Kelly, Sentimental Value is about a filmmaker who neglected his family in order to focus on his career — a character played by the veteran Swedish thespian Stellan Skarsgård, who will probably duke it out with Sandler for the best supporting actor Oscar. —Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025

Agosto Machado—artist, activist, thespian, muse, historian, raconteur, and perennial fashion plate—is one of them. —Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 2