Dictionary.com

actress

[ ak-tris ]
/ ˈæk trɪs /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: actress / actresses on Thesaurus.com

noun
a woman who acts in stage plays, motion pictures, television broadcasts, etc., especially professionally.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of actress

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

usage note for actress

What's the difference between actress and actor? See -ess.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use actress in a sentence

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
FEEDBACK