participant
Americannoun
-
participants
plural
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Sosnoff is a bit more measured in his final assessment, quoting a participant as saying, “We haven’t buried the hatchet yet, but it’s been put away in the closet,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The number of injections depended on how much abdominal fat each participant had.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Afterward, each participant receives a “Super Age,” a number based on their performance that day and their self-reported lifestyle habits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
"It was over in an instant. I almost wish I could have slept a little longer," participant Chisato Honda, 32, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
He liked that she had spoken so forcefully, for once, about the cause; it was as if she had finally become an equal participant in the war effort.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"This Saturday, October 17, will be a celebration of our collective power. Walk together to the polls. Organize rides. Bring your neighbors, friends, and family," she urged participants.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Some of the participants took pride in cleaning up after every night.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
All participants had a live conversation with a clinician and a professional interpreter, simulating the informational discussion of the risks and benefits which typically precedes myeloma treatment.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Together, these datasets included nearly 200,000 participants who had provided information about their eating habits, daily routines, and other lifestyle factors.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
In this, the most famous duel in American history, both participants were casualties.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
