thespian

1 of 2

noun

thes·​pi·​an ˈthe-spē-ən 

: actor

thespian

2 of 2

adjective

1

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

2

Thespian : 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 of thespian

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

In fact, the last one is for real as the aspiring thespians eventually discover. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

Stuhlbarg has taken a bunch of lessons from fellow thespians for decades. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025

Adjective

Even more striking than her lack of thespian chops, however, is her complete absence of screen presence. —Michaela Zee, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025

The thespian is curious about how Ibsen purists might react to this cinematic interpretation. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 2