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Synonyms

emcee

American  
[em-see] / ˈɛmˈsi /

verb (used with object)

emcees, present (3rd person singular) emceed, past participle, past emceeing present participle
  1. to act as master of ceremonies for.

verb (used without object)

emcees, present (3rd person singular) emceed, past participle, past emceeing present participle
  1. to act as master of ceremonies.

emcee British  
/ ˌɛmˈsiː /

noun

  1. a master of ceremonies

"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

verb

  1. to act as master of ceremonies (for or at)

"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

Usage

What does emcee mean? An emcee is the person who serves as the host of an event by introducing performers, speakers, or other participants. It comes from the abbreviation MC, which stands for master of ceremoniesEmcee is a less formal way of saying master of ceremonies. Both terms are used in the context of events like weddings, banquets, and awards ceremonies, but, of the two, emcee is more commonly used in less formal situations. In hip-hop, emcee is often used as a synonym for rapper, especially one skilled at lyricism. Emcee can also be used as a verb meaning to act as an emcee. Example: The local radio DJ acted as the emcee and introduced the competitors of the breakdancing contest.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of emcee

1935–35, spelling form of the abbreviation MC ( def. ) or M.C. ( def. )

Explanation

The host for a performance or event can be called an emcee. If you're chosen to be the emcee for the school talent show, you'll introduce each juggler, singer, or comedian before they come onstage. Emcee was coined in the 1930s from the pronunciation of M.C., which is short for master of ceremonies. The emcee plays an important role in many forms of entertainment, as well as business events and other gatherings. Emcees introduce speakers at conventions, tell jokes and announce winners at awards ceremonies, and get the crowd excited between acts at comedy shows. You can even think of a circus ringmaster as a particularly flashy emcee.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing emcee

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:

Escorted by actor and perpetual emcee Bob Hope, Sam the Eagle descended the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 6, 2026

Comedian Trevor Noah is slated to emcee, and singer Chappell Roan is expected to perform for deep-pocketed advertisers.

From The Wall Street Journal May 12, 2026

He’s been little more than an emcee for negotiations, but wants us to think he invented armistice.

From Salon Feb. 13, 2026

He’s been little more than an emcee for negotiations, but wants us to think he invented armistice.

From Salon Feb. 13, 2026

I don’t even remember the emcee announcing my name.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

Minutes into the climb, the plebes roll their T-shirts up and throw them, like emcees at a ball game, toward the base of the monument, where other midshipmen use them to wipe off the grease.

From Slate Jun. 24, 2026

But the organization chooses its emcees with intent.

From Salon Apr. 2, 2025

Dance workshops, DJs, graffiti, and emcees will take over various spaces and the main stage will feature some of the best dancers in the world.

From BBC May 3, 2024

The Compton native, who left his dangerous street occupation, established the label Ruthless Records and hooked up with local emcees Ice Cube and MC Ren, producer Dr. Dre and DJ Yella.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 7, 2023

“This is the first time three black women emcees are headlining,” Holmes noted.

From Seattle Times Jun. 29, 2023

Poehler has won a previous Golden Globes as a lead actress on “Parks and Recreation,” and emceed the show three times with her buddy Tina Fey.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 12, 2026

He DJ’d on live radio continuously for 79 years, and emceed legendary music revues almost that long.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 28, 2025

Kimmel, who is among the top talk show personalities in the US, emceed the Oscars four times and has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003.

From BBC Sep. 22, 2025

And he won the first-ever online bee emceed by Dev Shah, last year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.

From Seattle Times May 30, 2024

The mayor officiated the couple’s wedding, and Shim emceed their child’s first birthday party.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 22, 2024

Even the snobbiest TV snoots can’t resist Alan Cumming as the playfully sadistic laird of Ardross Castle, emceeing what is essentially a closed circle murder mystery.

From Salon Jan. 15, 2026

On “The Daily Show,” which airs on Paramount-owned Comedy Central and has rotating hosts, Jon Stewart suited up for emceeing duties outside his usual Monday slot.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 18, 2025

While emceeing Saturday’s event at the Washington Hilton hotel, comedian and “Daily Show” correspondent Roy Wood Jr. addressed the dual terminations of Carlson, formerly of Fox News, and Lemon, who used to work for CNN.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 30, 2023

Yanni Gourde, who played in Seattle’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche the night before, took on some emceeing duties.

From Seattle Times Jan. 22, 2023

The kid who was emceeing the rally announced the next speaker, a girl named Ishani who had survived a rain bomb in India last year.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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