participant
Americannoun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of participant
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin participant-, stem of participāns “sharing,” present participle of participāre “to share”; see participate
Explanation
A participant is a person who participates, or takes part in something. Vote on Election Day and you've just taken part in or become a participant in United States democracy. Participants play a role in the unfolding of events. A contestant is a participant on a game show. A football player is a participant in the sport. Someone talking is a participant in a conversation. You can sometimes be a participant without taking an active role — if you watch a crime taking place and do nothing to stop it, you might be called a passive participant.
Vocabulary lists containing participant
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Workshop 6, Part 2
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"Journeys," Vocabulary from Lesson 13
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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.
Although one participant appeared remotely, on a large TV monitor, during the real interrogation, the theatrical version places all three figures in the same room.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
On Monday, Ward told the court that she was an "active participant".
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
Bowlero’s intent to own every 32-lane bowling alley in America is about profit, obviously, but it’s also about the pursuit of a different class of participant.
From Salon • Jul. 3, 2026
Of Pax Silica’s 24 signatories—25 if you include Taiwan, which is a participant but not a signatory—the vast majority are traditional U.S. allies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
He liked that she had spoken so forcefully, for once, about the cause; it was as if she had finally become an equal participant in the war effort.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
