actress
Americannoun
noun
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a woman who acts in a play, film, broadcast, etc
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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.
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.
It’s currently unclear what offer has been accepted by the actress; the home will not officially be sold until the deal has closed.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
The Oscar-winning actress playing Helen of Troy told Elle she’s heard some of the criticism, but doesn’t think it’s worth much thought.
From Salon • May 24, 2026
The unedited transcript shows the actress made the comment about about a "particular place" in the town, rather than Shotts as a whole.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
The award for actress was shared by Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, co-stars of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden,” a movie pegged by many to potentially go all the way.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Twig’s not the best actress, to be honest.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
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.
