protagonist

noun

pro·​tag·​o·​nist prō-ˈta-gə-nist 

1

a(1)

: the principal character in a literary work (such as a drama or story)

(2)

: the leading actor or principal character in a television show, movie, book, etc.

b

: an active participant in an event

2

: a leader, proponent, or supporter of a cause : champion

Did you know?

Struggle, or conflict, is central to drama. The protagonist or hero of a play, novel, or film is involved in a struggle of some kind, either against someone or something else or even against his or her own emotions. So the hero is the "first struggler", which is the literal meaning of the Greek word prōtagōnistēs. A character who opposes the hero is the antagonist, from a Greek verb that means literally "to struggle against".

Synonyms of protagonist

• proponent
• advocate
• supporter
• advocator
• exponent
• friend

Examples of protagonist in a Sentence

Badlands has two protagonists and Days of Heaven four (though both movies are rich in colorful minor roles). —Richard Alleva, Commonweal, 12 Mar. 1999

The protagonists of Gordon's fiction are children who have been saddled with their parents' emotional bad debts. —Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 1990

The most adamant opposition to my argument is likely to come from protagonists of secular reason … —Glenn Finder, Atlantic, December 1989

She was a leading protagonist in the civil rights movement.

Milton Friedman is usually cited as the leading American protagonist of monetarism.

Recent Examples on the Web

This real-life event, along with her desire for more Black representation in the genre, shaped the book's protagonist, Harmony Roundtree, a young Black girl who encounters a ghost in Savannah and gets pulled into a mystery. — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Director Paul Weiland, who lived out the exact same bar-mitzvah scenario his protagonist does, nails the specifics of a summer that, for better and for worse, remains ingrained into the national psyche. — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026

It’s held together beautifully by Bailey, who’s easy to root for as the tortured protagonist, and, as one half (along with her sister) of the musical duo Chloe x Halle, knows a thing or two about the musician’s plight. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 26 June 2026

But Supergirl doesn’t quite want to deal with the immensity of its protagonist’s feelings; her drunken stupor is often played for laughs, defined by disheveled hair, big sunglasses, and plenty of slurred speech. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Greek prōtagōnistēs, from prōt- prot- + agōnistēs competitor at games, actor, from agōnizesthai to compete, from agōn contest, competition at games — more at agony

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for protagonist

• antagonist
• agonist

Kids Definition

protagonist

noun

pro·​tag·​o·​nist prō-ˈtag-ə-nəst 

: the chief character in a play, novel, or story