Chaplin

American  

[chap-lin] / ˈtʃæp lɪn /

noun

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

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Chaplin British  

/ ˈtʃæplɪn /

noun

1. 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)

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Other Word Forms

• Chaplinesque adjective

Example Sentences

“You may think your greatest export is Alfred Hitchcock or Charlie Chaplin, but to me it was Adam Somner,” Anderson said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

The Feb. 28 check for the fundraising gala was described in emails as a tax-deductible donation to the century-old Hollywood charity founded by Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and others.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

It became a fashionable West End venue, attracting a social glitterati including actors Charlie Chaplin and Marlon Brando and political figures including Sir Winston Churchill.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Vuitton is rooted in travel, and Shanghai, a port city where figures from Albert Einstein to Charlie Chaplin once arrived by ship, has long been shaped by it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025

When the Powhatan later captured John Smith, Chaplin notes, Smith broke his pistol rather than reveal to his captors “the awful truth that it could not shoot as far as an arrow could fly.”

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann