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 Her brother, actor Jansen Panetierre, died at the age of 28 in 2023. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026 His case has been the subject of documentaries and true-crime podcasts and garnered celebrity attention from Kim Kardashian and actors Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who all support his exoneration. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 And for the viewer, or at least for me, the pain of losing the character is tempered by not losing the actor. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026 Christopher Pettiet, an actor Suplee knew from Hollywood in the 1990s, died of an accidental overdose in April 2000, according to Suplee. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 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
  • Plans for a follow-up to the beloved comedy were first announced in January 2025, with both actresses confirmed to return.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The actress starred on the beloved sitcom from 1996 to 2005 alongside Romano, Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle and more.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of actress
Noun
  • Mahomes was cleared to be a full participant for training camp practices in late July — barely more than seven months removed from surgery.
    — Jesse Newell, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • People across levels of an organization become participants rather than spectators.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of participant
Noun
  • Many in Hollywood and beyond were left stunned by news of the passing of multifaceted performer Hayden Panettiere at age 36, as reported Sunday night.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
  • This time, renowned singer and performer Natalie Amaya will join this Northern California tribute band on stage.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of performer
Noun
  • Haaland was one of the top scorers and most charismatic players at the World Cup held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, and his imposing stature and goofy sense of humor sparked a wave of creative viral videos and memes.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Those are some very complimentary terms to describe a Major League Baseball player.
    — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of player
Noun
  • With debts racking up, Ina loses the family’s bus company, forcing her to shift between jobs, from construction to becoming a bar entertainer, therefore forging an identity through toil.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The themes for each collection come naturally to both the heritage denim brand and the multihyphenate entertainer.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 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
  • The film stars revered Indian thespian Naseeruddin Shah as Rashid Ali, a Punjabi Muslim man whose family left before Partition and who returns to his birthplace after a lifetime in England.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The actors who play Olmo’s parents, Gustavo Sánchez Parra and Andrea Suárez Paz, are seasoned Mexican thespians.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 7 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 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on actor

Nglish: Translation of actor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about actor

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