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 As an actor, Yang is known for roles in HBO’s Silicon Valley, Crazy Rich Asians and Hulu’s Interior Chinatown. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 The actor told Fox News Digital what still excites him about his character, Dwight Manfredi. — Janelle Ash , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Robach, 53, was previously married to Melrose Place actor Andrew Shue, and Holmes to attorney Marilee Fiebig. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 Jackson had filmed actor Bill Irwin experimenting with the character while the team was still considering extensive prosthetics. — Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 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
  • In an attempt to uncover what might be going on in her mind, Fielder travels to a farm in upstate New York to meet actress Amanda Seyfried, who played Holmes to much acclaim in the 2022 Hulu series The Dropout.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Having dressed numerous actresses throughout her career, Chiuri sees a shift in red carpet culture toward individualized creations and, more recently, greater restraint.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of actress
Noun
  • Unlike traditional sports betting, prediction markets function more like exchanges, with participants taking positions against one another rather than against a house.
    — Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In a 2020 interview with the local news station KTVZ, Nickerson identified the boy, then 10, as a participant in a special needs program run by the school district.
    — HAVEN DALEY, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of participant
Noun
  • Hugo said his work as a songwriter, producer, arranger, and performer was central to their success, though Williams was the public face of their partnership.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In the Chicago Tribune, Loerzel wrote that the opening of the Uptown in 1925 was cause for a festival, complete with bands, trapeze artists and a madcap performer who set himself ablaze and submerged himself in water to extinguish the flames.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of performer
Noun
  • In theory, that makes sense, since coaches would have more players to choose from.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Part of the reason banks are such big players in that market is because of the requirements of the Community Reinvestment Act.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of player
Noun
  • The entertainer lived in the US until his dramatic split with the States during the Red Scare of the ’50s.
    — Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Martin, whose career has spanned movies, comedy, television and music, received the IBMA’s entertainer of the year accolade in 2011.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 8 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 18 Oct. 2026.

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