actress
Americannoun
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actresses
plural
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.
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.
See Examples For:
The actress and Fielder go to Evans’s home, where she attempts to do some detective work of her own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
They were joined on the podium by actress Linda Gray - Sue Ellen in the Dallas TV series.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The actress gives a fiercely funny performance alongside Ed Harris and Allison Janney in a revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s play about a family conflict in California.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Both of them have latterly turned to personal projects, working with their wives -- film editor Tricia Cooke and actress Frances McDormand -- on movies such as "Honey Don't" and "The Tragedy of Macbeth".
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Act for God, if you want to—be God’s actress, if you want to.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
She got the job over the “more A-list” actresses who Rock says were vying for it, in part because she clearly wanted it so much.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
“Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega may be one of Hollywood’s most recognizable young actresses, but when it comes to real estate, the 23-year-old has kept a relatively low profile.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
More often than not, we see this with actresses in Hollywood pushing against demanding directors or seeking out more challenging material.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
Oscar-winning actresses Viola Davis and Ariana DeBose joined "Wicked" star Cynthia Erivo in the front row at the show, which took place on the eve of fashion week's official launch.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
I think of bands he likes, films he enjoys, actresses he fancies.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
