player

¹ American  

[pley-er] / ˈpleɪ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that plays.

2. a person who takes part or is skilled in some game or sport.

3. a person who plays parts on the stage; an actor.

4. a performer on a musical instrument.

5. Informal. a participant, as in a conference or business deal.

6. a machine or piece of software that reproduces sound or images: a videodisc player;

   a record player;

   a videodisc player;

   a digital media player.

7. a gambler.

8. Slang. a person engaged in illicit or illegal activity, especially a pimp.

9. a mechanical device by which a musical instrument, as a player piano, is played automatically.

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Player ² American  

[pley-er] / ˈpleɪ ər /

noun

1. Gary, born 1935, South African golfer.

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player ¹ British  

/ ˈpleɪə /

noun

1. a person who participates in or is skilled at some game or sport

2. a person who plays a game or sport professionally

3. a person who plays a musical instrument

4. an actor

5. informal a participant, esp a powerful one, in a particular field of activity

   a leading city player

6. See record player

7. the playing mechanism in a Pianola

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Player ² British  

/ ˈpleɪə /

noun

1. Gary (ˈɡærɪ). born 1935, South African golfer: winner of nine major championships (1959–78), including the British Open (1959, 1968, 1974)

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Other Word Forms

• counterplayer noun
• nonplayer noun
• self-player noun
• superplayer noun

Etymology

Origin of player

before 1000; Middle English pleyer, Old English plegere. See play, -er ¹

Explanation

If you like to play anything at all, you’re a player. If you take part in a game or sport, you're a player. If you're a big flirt, you’re a player. Like the kazoo? You’re a kazoo player. Play on! Some players play cards or tennis, and others play roles in theater productions. You could also call a musician a player, like a piano player or a flute player. Vital or influential people (or groups) are sometimes described this way too: "The president called a meeting of all the biggest political players." And finally, there are inanimate players, like music or radio players, or an MP3 player.

Example Sentences

Three-time champion Mark Williams secured a 6-3 lead over 22-year-old Antoni Kowalski, the world number 69 and the first player from Poland to play at the venue.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Coach Lue led the team, overcoming major obstacles throughout the season with a player investigation, injuries, internal strife and major roster changes at the trade deadline.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

He was like that as a player and nothing has changed now he is in the dug-out at a time when questions were starting to be asked of him as well as his team.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

They had allowed her to take a tile after another player had already grabbed it—technically a no-no—but Impellizzeri, 55 and wearing pearls as big as martini olives, was having none of it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Since I was a good soccer player and a responsible student, in my third year the headmaster asked me to be one of the co-captains of the team.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

Related Words

• athlete
• competitor
• member
• opponent
• participant
• pro
• professional
• rookie