Chaplin

American

[chap-lin] / ˈtʃæp lɪn /

noun

Sir Charles Spencer Charlie, 1889–1977, English film actor, producer, and director; in U.S. 1910–52.

Chaplin British

/ ˈtʃæplɪn /

noun

Sir Charles Spencer, known as Charlie Chaplin. 1889–1977, English comedian, film actor, and director. He is renowned for his portrayal of a downtrodden little man with baggy trousers, bowler hat, and cane. His films, most of which were made in Hollywood, include The Gold Rush (1924), Modern Times (1936), and The Great Dictator (1940)

"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

Other Word Forms

Chaplinesque

adjective

Example Sentences

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Himself an immigrant from England, Chaplin was eventually chased out of the U.S. during the Red Scare, but “The Immigrant” poetically distills the country that was, for a while, his home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026

Charlie Chaplin met Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the resort in 1953, along with his daughter, the future Indian premier Indira Gandhi.

From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026

A large mural of Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan in the 1921 film “The Kid” graces the front of a prominent building in Cannes.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

As a newborn, Becky Chaplin still had her umbilical cord attached when a vet who was out jogging discovered her in a bag by the roadside in Kenya.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

What did that make Father then, Charlie Chaplin, waddling around duck-footed, waving his cane and talking without any sounds coming out?

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023