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View synonyms for protagonist

protagonist

[proh-tag-uh-nist]

noun

  1. the leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work.

  2. a proponent for or advocate of a political cause, social program, etc.

  3. the leader or principal person in a movement, cause, etc.

  4. the first actor in ancient Greek drama, who played not only the main role, but also other roles when the main character was offstage.

  5. Physiology.,  agonist.



protagonist

/ prəʊˈtæɡənɪst /

noun

  1. the principal character in a play, story, etc

  2. a supporter, esp when important or respected, of a cause, political party, etc

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

protagonist

  1. The principal character in a literary work. Hamlet, for example, is the protagonist of the play by William Shakespeare that bears his name.

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Other Word Forms

  • protagonism noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of protagonist1

First recorded in 1665–75; from Greek prōtagōnistḗs “actor who plays the first part,” literally, “first combatant,” equivalent to prôt(os) “first” + agōnistḗs “one who contends for a prize, combatant, actor”; proto-, antagonist
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Word History and Origins

Origin of protagonist1

C17: from Greek prōtagōnistēs, from prōtos first + agōnistēs actor
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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.

Her sales pitch hinges on the heartthrob protagonist: “He’s like a hot conspiracy theorist. If there even is such a thing.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He was overjoyed that the fans were already engaging with film's main protagonist, on a deep level.

Read more on BBC

It’s the perfect setting, in other words, for a novel by Mr. Banville, who is a master of shadow and suggestion and whose protagonists are often elusive, wavering and easily corrupted.

Several of her books involve love triangles in which a woman is torn between two men, one of whom readers will recognize as patently unsuitable before her protagonist does.

He’s stepping in as protagonist pilot Hig after Mescal dropped out.

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