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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 In addition to Pitt, Cliff Booth also stars Scott Caan, Elizabeth Debicki, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Peter Weller, Carla Gugino, Holt McCallany and JB Tadena, while Timothy Olyphant reprises his Hollywood role of real-life Western actor James Stacy. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 Gerber, a model and the older brother of model and actor Kaia Gerber, had been open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, chronicling his journey on Instagram. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026 To sort of have that guarantee that people really care about something is really comforting as an actor and really exciting. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 His work on the show earned him two Golden Globe nominations for best actor. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 21 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
  • The actress was not looking to become the quirky best friend character, a trope that director Claire Scanlon and writers Sarah Rothschild and Hazelwood were not interested in rehashing.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The actresses alternate between the roles of Electra/Elisabeth and Clytemnestra/Alma each night, depending on a coin toss.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of actress
Noun
  • Like all the other participants in the beginning class, Bugumba also has an artistic bent, bringing a tumbler artistically decorated with cat logos and a phone case covered with feline pictures.
    — Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The brand used smaller-scale settings to facilitate exchange and give participants more space to interact, while a continuous series of activities allowed individual encounters to develop into relationships.
    — Advertorial, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of participant
Noun
  • But Caminero — who is only 23 years old — was the first repeat performer, winning unanimously both times.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • His host was Jay Footlik, another ex-performer who’d had a propitious second career.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of performer
Noun
  • A lot of the players’ gambits rely on chutzpah, humor, and projected self-assurance.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Howard senior Ta’Shawn Poole made history in preseason as the first Macon player to be named an AJC Super 11 since the honor was first accorded in 1985.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of player
Noun
  • If a ticket is purchased to listen to an entertainer sing songs, that does not extend to wanting to hear the entertainer share personal political or religious beliefs.
    — Letters to the Editor, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2026
  • According to his official biography, Humperdinck has sold more than 140 million records worldwide throughout his career, received four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe for entertainer of the year and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
    — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 19 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
actor
actorish
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Cite this Entry

“Actor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actor. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on actor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about actor

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