actress

[ ak-tris ]
/ ˈæk trɪs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR actress ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a woman who acts in stage plays, motion pictures, television broadcasts, etc., especially professionally.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of actress

First recorded in 1580–90; act(o)r + -ess

usage note for actress

See -ess.

Words nearby actress

actoridae, actorish, actors' equity association, actp, actra, actress, actressy, acts of the apostles, actt, actu, actual
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to actress

starlet, diva, ingenue

Example sentences from the Web for actress

British Dictionary definitions for actress

actress
/ (ˈæktrɪs) /

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 for actress

Use of the word actress to refer to a female who acts is old-fashioned. The modern gender-neutral form is actor
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012