comedian
Americannoun
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a professional entertainer who amuses by relating anecdotes, acting out comical situations, engaging in humorous repartee, etc.
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an actor in comedy.
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a writer of comedy.
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any comical or amusing person.
noun
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an entertainer who specializes in jokes, comic skits, etc
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an actor in comedy
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an amusing or entertaining person: sometimes used ironically
Etymology
Origin of comedian
Explanation
A comedian tells jokes for a living. If you have the ability to crack everyone up at the dinner table, your mom might say that you should be a comedian. Comedians perform in various ways: a stand-up comedian, for example, tells jokes on a stage at a comedy club. Other comedians might perform improvisational comedy routines in a group, or be featured in a funny movie. In the 16th century, a comedian was specifically a "comic poet," while later the words comedian and actor were briefly interchangeable. It comes from the Greek komoidia, "an amusing spectacle."
Vocabulary lists containing comedian
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -an
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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.
The label, called Tucker Carlson Books, is launching with a slate of tomes by high-profile authors, many of whom are controversial, including actor and comedian Russell Brand and media provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
The 37-year-old was the first professional comedian to stage a show in both English and sign language.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
“L.A. is not, in my mind, a dating city,” said the comedian, who opened up about his experiences dating as a gay man and later meeting his estranged half-brother, who is also gay.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Thai Randolph spent the best part of seven years building comedian Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat from an upstart production studio into a fully fledged media company.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
“You think you're the next big Marvellian comedian, eh? See me after class, Miss Ebsen.”
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
