actor

noun

ˈak-tər How to pronounce actor (audio)
Definition of actornext
1
as in actress
one who acts professionally (as in a play, movie, or television show) my sister went to drama school to become an actor

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in participant
one who takes part in something Benjamin Franklin was a major actor in many of the events leading up to the founding of our nation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of actor Ahead of the premiere’s conclusion, Variety exclusively reported that Neon’s awards campaign for the film will include Garfield and Rylance competing in the supporting actor category and Borisov campaigning in lead actor. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026 Yet for the actors, musicians, and athletes stepping into a recording booth, the process of making an audio memoir can be draining. — Brian Raftery, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026 The recipes parallel Wen's evolution from immigrant kid helping out at her parents' restaurant to working actor cooking for her own children. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 The Madhouse on Castle Street was not much of a play; and Dylan, whatever his natural comedic talents, was even less of an actor. — Sean Wilentz, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for actor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actor
  1. actress
  2. participant
  3. performer
  4. player
  5. entertainer
  6. participator
  7. thespian
Noun
  • That feature motivated the actress to approach Novig about taking an equity stake in the company, said Jacob Fortinsky, the company’s co-founder.
    — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The narrative film jury was comprised of directors Cary Joji Fukunaga and Fernando Eimbcke, actress Ella Rumpf, producer Julie Billy and Walter Fasano, director, film editor and screenwriter.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of actress
Noun
  • The Associated Press spoke last week to participants and doctors at the health center where the trial is taking place in the eastern province of Ituri, the epicenter of the outbreak.
    — CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Most of the participants are young adults, many of whom were born decades after the Doors’ last album was released.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of participant
Noun
  • That suggests that the filmmaker and performer is not on the general public’s radar in as big a way as the breathless media coverage suggests.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Her crime was objecting, out loud, when another performer railed against Israel from a stage.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of performer
Noun
  • Mbappé did, however, post a video of himself cycling on social media over the weekend, days after his Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, said that activity is one soccer players should avoid.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This has created an arms race in major college football that has turned off many fans, despite the benefit to players.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of player
Noun
  • Cody Johnson earned his first ACM entertainer of the year award.
    — Paul Grein, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Obrochta’s life as an entertainer dates back to his days as an IT teacher at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills.
    — Jim Dudlicek, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of entertainer
Noun
  • And in doing so, Gunther often lulls crowds into becoming sporting event spectators rather than the raucous participators that most other wrestlers try to draw out of them.
    — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Definition of participator
Noun
  • Marion Bailey, as Amy’s mother, has already emerged from Telluride as a standout, a veteran thespian never given her proper due.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Tim Curry, the shape-shifting English thespian whose entertainment career never failed to defy industry expectations, has died at 80 years old, according to reports from multiple outlets.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of thespian

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activity
actor
actorish
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Cite this Entry

“Actor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actor. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about actor

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