actor

noun

ac·​tor ˈak-tər How to pronounce actor (audio)
 also  -ˌtȯr
Synonyms of actornext
1
: one that acts : doer
2
a
: one who acts in a play, movie, television show, etc.
b
: one who behaves as if acting a part
3
: one that takes part in any affair : participant
political actors
actorish
ˈak-tə-rish How to pronounce actor (audio)
adjective
actorly
ˈak-tər-lē How to pronounce actor (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

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Examples of actor in a Sentence

my sister went to drama school to become an actor Benjamin Franklin was a major actor in many of the events leading up to the founding of our nation.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The search is officially underway for the actors who will make up the storied Ingalls family in the streamer’s reboot of the classic ’70s drama. — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 22 Mar. 2025 The young actor has a disconcerting awareness of the roiling potential of his changing body. — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025 Camilla Row, the wife of Hallmark star Brennan Elliott and a clinical psychologist, has died, the actor confirmed. — Victoria Edel, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025 In her recent book, An Intimate Look at Broadway, Hollywood, and the Age of Glamour, actor Nancy Olsen Livingston opined on the personal tribulations that the former silver screen heroine may have endured in her longest starring role as that of Rainier III’s spouse. — Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for actor

Word History

Etymology

Middle English actour "doer, pleader," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin āctor, from agere "to drive (cattle), cause to move, do" + -tor, agent suffix — more at agent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of actor was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing actor

Rhymes for actor

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Browse Nearby Words

actor
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Cite this Entry

“Actor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actor. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

actor

noun
ac·​tor ˈak-tər How to pronounce actor (audio)
: one that acts
especially : a person who acts especially in a play or movie or on television

More from Merriam-Webster on actor

Nglish: Translation of actor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about actor

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