actor
noun
a person who acts in stage plays, motion pictures, television broadcasts, etc.
actor
1 American
[ak-ter]
/ ˈæk tər /
noun
-
actors
plural
-
a person who acts in stage plays, motion pictures, television broadcasts, etc.
-
a person who does something; participant.
Actor
2
American
[ak-ter]
/ ˈæk tər /
noun
Classical Mythology.
actor
British
/ ˈæktə /
noun
-
a person who acts in a play, film, broadcast, etc
-
informal a person who puts on a false manner in order to deceive others (often in the phrase bad actor )
Usage
The term actor is almost universally used nowadays to refer to people of either gender who act
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of actor
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin āctor, equivalent to āg- ( see act) + -tor -tor
Explanation
If you act in a play, whether it's written by Shakespeare or your little brother, you can call yourself an actor. Some actors make films, and others are on TV. Traditionally, the noun actor referred to a male performer, while actress was used to describe a female. These days, it's become more common to use actor for players of any gender. You can also use the word to describe someone who participates in some action, or makes things happen in a particular area: "She was a real actor in the labor movement." In Latin, actor means both "doer" and "theatrical player."
Vocabulary lists containing actor
Academy Awards, List 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Literary Terms, Part I
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Just Do It: Act
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The “Odyssey” actor filed her petition a day after LaBeouf’s ex-girlfriend FKA twigs brought her latest lawsuit against the former Disney Channel star to a close.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
The “Slow Horses” actor plays the title role in “Misty Green,” about the evils of Hollywood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The actor is starring alongside the Oscar-winning Mikey Madison in "The Social Reckoning," the drama directed and written by Aaron Sorkin that delves into the inner workings of Facebook.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The 7,700-square-foot gem sits on a gated 1.48-acre lot just outside of Atlanta, in an area the actor appears to have mixed feelings toward.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
On the ragged edge, a neat person had printed in blue ink, “P.A.” and the year the actor, dancer, or musician had graduated.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Actor Josh Brolin has sold his sprawling Sandy Springs, Ga., estate for $4 million—a final sale price falling just under $1 million less than the original asking price of $4.999 million.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
Actor Florence Pugh, Jaguar’s newly minted brand ambassador, schmoozed with design journalists, bloggers and online creators at a party later Tuesday to promote the Type 01.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Actor Dennis Haskins was a staple at the now-shuttered Dimples karaoke bar in Burbank — so much so that many patrons thought he owned it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Actor D’Arcy Carden stopped by early, beating the cadre of guests crowding the main plaza beneath the now-famous oculus of the 300,000-square-foot Ma Yansong-designed building.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Ferris Bueller: Actor Matthew Broderick played this teenager in a comedy film.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
After graduation, she moved to Ghana, where she worked for her brother’s production company, sometimes auditioning potential actors for parts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The scenes were, he reassured, "filmed with the participation of real actors".
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Still, it’s really cool to witness — for the audience and actors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Thirty actors and public figures will take part in The Pelicot Trial, a one-off "documentary theatre" style performance at London's County Hall next month.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
‘You are now actors, all of you, and you must play your parts perfectly. You hear me?’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
