participant
Americannoun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of participant
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin participant-, stem of participāns “sharing,” present participle of participāre “to share”; see participate
Explanation
A participant is a person who participates, or takes part in something. Vote on Election Day and you've just taken part in or become a participant in United States democracy. Participants play a role in the unfolding of events. A contestant is a participant on a game show. A football player is a participant in the sport. Someone talking is a participant in a conversation. You can sometimes be a participant without taking an active role — if you watch a crime taking place and do nothing to stop it, you might be called a passive participant.
Vocabulary lists containing participant
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Workshop 6, Part 2
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"Journeys," Vocabulary from Lesson 13
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I was fortunate to be an eyewitness, and a participant of sorts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Each participant must wear trousers, with straw available for them to create a layer of padding on their shins.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
“He was not the leader in the hunger and the labor strike. He was merely a participant in it in support of what was going on. They lied,” she said.
From Slate • May 29, 2026
One participant from Russia, who declined to provide his name or affiliation, told AFP he was at the Shenzhen expo to look for drone "interceptors", without giving more details.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
It is music that one makes oneself, in which one takes part not as a listener, but as a participant.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
