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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.
Examples of thespian in a Sentence
Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 16 Sep. 2025
The veteran thespian used the interview to highlight the broader need for solidarity among Black creators.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 16 Sep. 2025
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
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Cite this Entry
“Thespian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thespian. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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