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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 The filing in a Los Angeles County court cites items seized in a federal investigation of the actor’s death, unnamed and unauthorized people accessing her residence in Los Angeles, and valuables that are missing. — Andrew Dalton, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 Stallone wrote and starred in the movie, earning Oscar nominations for best actor and best original screenplay. — Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 The Terminator actor, who was married to Shriver for 25 years before their split in 2011, also has a son Joseph, 28, with Mildred Patricia Baena. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026 British-Nigerian actor Toheeb Jimoh had already adopted the gadget for its anxiety-soothing properties, meanwhile. — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 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
  • The queen bee of the group is Paulina (a sensational Denée Benton), who rambles on about her American cousins and her pro-football player boyfriend Kofi, whom no one has actually met.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
  • This, combined with the glacial pace of emissions reductions, gives the sense that key players are more interested in surviving what’s coming, rather than stopping it.
    — Stephanie Walton, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of player
Noun
  • By the way, there were a high number of Kansas City fans in their red jerseys in the stands but Taylor Swift, the superstar singer/entertainer who is married to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, didn’t attend.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Of course, one entertainer who isn’t in that category would seem to be a natural fit for Arrowhead — the one who has married into Kansas City’s aristocracy.
    — Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Actor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actor. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on actor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about actor

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