actress
Americannoun
noun
-
a woman who acts in a play, film, broadcast, etc
-
informal a woman who puts on a false manner in order to deceive others
Usage
Use of the word actress to refer to a female who acts is old-fashioned. The modern gender-neutral form is actor
Gender
What's the difference between actress and actor? See -ess.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of actress
Vocabulary lists containing actress
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.
Out of seven drama supporting actress slots, four went to “The Pitt,” including nods for Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, newcomer Sepideh Moafi and last year’s winner Katherine LaNasa.
From Salon • Jul. 9, 2026
In addition to Smart and Einbinder, Meg Stalter and show co-creator Downs were nominated for supporting actress and actor in a comedy, respectively.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
“Everyone here is a work of art,” she sings while name-checking actress Debi Mazar, a fixture at the institution in its prime, along with hip-hop impresario Fab 5 Freddy and downtown artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026
The actress further explained that she has been choosing to put her children first during their teenage years, which is when they need her “most.”
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
They all jumped, including Matilda who was a pretty good actress.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
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.
