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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 That leaves Prentice, a left-leaning Shakespearean actor, in begrudging agreement with the prominent conservative senator. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026 The same is true of the recollections shared by Roger Castillo and David Pressman, friends going back to Perry’s earliest days struggling as an actor in Hollywood. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026 The actor is currently carrying out his prison sentence at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 People magazine, citing a representative for the actor, said Saint James died Monday. — ABC News, 27 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 War, for example, Morgan Henderson does indeed cheat on his wife with a 20-something aspiring actress.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The actress said Toback later made disparaging remarks about her appearance, including comments about her hips.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of actress
Noun
  • For the vast majority of these deals, Nvidia won't have to pay up unless participants in the project default.
    — Kif Leswing,Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Organizers expect to draw well over three thousand participants, many from overseas.
    — Daniel Brook, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of participant
Noun
  • Ortiz and another performer, Magdellena Romero, were arrested.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Jensen has the vocal equivalent of a familiar face, which for another performer could become a disadvantage.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of performer
Noun
  • Antetokounmpo and Mitchell were the only two Heat players to finish with more than 12 points.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Because the industry has standardized around a few players, like Nvidia and a few custom chipmakers, tied into the larger hyperscalers that are the ones soaking up all the excess capital.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of player
Noun
  • Unwieldy as the structure may be, who would turn down the chance to witness an iconic entertainer play the hits?
    — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Reba McEntire is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and a multi-faceted vocalist, entertainer, actor, author and businesswoman—much like one of her country music forebears, Dolly Parton.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 21 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

Browse Nearby Words

activity
actor
actorish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Actor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actor. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on actor

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about actor

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All