participant
Americannoun
adjective
Other Word Forms
- participantly adverb
- unparticipant adjective
Etymology
Origin of participant
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin participant-, stem of participāns “sharing,” present participle of participāre “to share”; 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.
“The headlines you read are not necessarily reflective of the private credit market, of which we’ve been a big participant in the above investment grade business, and we’ll continue to be so,” he said.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
Federal oversight has historically relied on anonymized or limited datasets, in part to protect participant privacy and sustain trust.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
The goal of Inside Safe is to find permanent homes within 90 days, with a maximum stay of six months, according to the written agreement issued by the city to each participant.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
Adora is also a participant in this toxic atmosphere, both victim and conspirator.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
In a small way, I had departed from my role as an observer and become a participant.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
