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Synonyms

bit part

American  

noun

  1. bit.

bit part British  

noun

  1. a very small acting role with few lines to speak

"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

Etymology

Origin of bit part

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

Only the Blue Jays were different, unwilling to accept their role as bit part characters in somebody else’s show.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

To my great surprise, I had no memory that John Candy had a stellar bit part in the film as a modest Midwestern polka player.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2025

The two briefly collaborated on 2014’s “Inherent Vice,” in which Del Toro had a bit part.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025

“That’s a little bit part of it,” Hakstol said of his continued frustration over the outcome of Thursday’s events.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2024

She got a bit part in a Jim Belushi movie called The Principal and Lil’ Jerry called her a movie star.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

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.