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• player
  player

  noun

  a person or thing that plays.
• Player
  Player

  noun

  Gary, born 1935, South African golfer.

player

¹ American  

[play-er] / ˈpleɪ ər /

noun

• players
  plural

1. a person or thing that plays.

2. a person who takes part or is skilled in some game or sport.

3. a person who plays parts on the stage; an actor.

4. a performer on a musical instrument.

5. Informal. a participant, as in a conference or business deal.

6. a machine or piece of software that reproduces sound or images: a videodisc player;

   a record player;

   a videodisc player;

   a digital media player.

7. a gambler.

8. Slang. a person engaged in illicit or illegal activity, especially a pimp.

9. a mechanical device by which a musical instrument, as a player piano, is played automatically.

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Player ² American  

[play-er] / ˈpleɪ ər /

noun

1. Gary, born 1935, South African golfer.

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player ¹ British  

/ ˈpleɪə /

noun

1. a person who participates in or is skilled at some game or sport

2. a person who plays a game or sport professionally

3. a person who plays a musical instrument

4. an actor

5. informal a participant, esp a powerful one, in a particular field of activity

   a leading city player

6. See record player

7. the playing mechanism in a Pianola

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Player ² British  

/ ˈpleɪə /

noun

1. Gary (ˈɡærɪ). born 1935, South African golfer: winner of nine major championships (1959–78), including the British Open (1959, 1968, 1974)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterplayer
  noun
• nonplayer
  noun
• self-player
  noun
• superplayer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• players
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of player

before 1000; Middle English pleyer, Old English plegere. See play, -er ¹

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Explanation

If you like to play anything at all, you’re a player. If you take part in a game or sport, you're a player. If you're a big flirt, you’re a player. Like the kazoo? You’re a kazoo player. Play on! Some players play cards or tennis, and others play roles in theater productions. You could also call a musician a player, like a piano player or a flute player. Vital or influential people (or groups) are sometimes described this way too: "The president called a meeting of all the biggest political players." And finally, there are inanimate players, like music or radio players, or an MP3 player.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

player Player players

For a player who hasn’t produced much since his selection as the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2024, it was an expensive price to pay.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

Just three short months ago, we wondered whether Ohtani would win his fifth most valuable player award and his first Cy Young Award.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

At 37, Freddie Freeman was the oldest player in baseball this season to qualify for the batting title.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

There's a good case for Danny Welbeck, who as the only current player in the top three, with 19 goals, still has time to catch those above him.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

He already knew Eloise—aka Gibby’s 1987 red Toyota Corolla that had a cassette tape jammed in the player.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Appeared in the October 8, 2026, print edition as 'Crypto Player Ripple Breaks Into Finance'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

A Rams defense missing defensive linemen Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald—and their five combined Defensive Player of the Year awards—had somehow given the team a prayer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

He was named the Finals' Most Valuable Player in all six.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

The 2024 season's Most Valuable Player was almost intercepted as he launched a hopeful pass into the endzone with less than two minutes remaining.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

I tapped the Player One button, and the first maze appeared on the screen.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Throughout Europe, the arrival of these Chinese brands is upending long-established players almost overnight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

“Western automakers are evolving into niche players of the future.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

After going 7-3 and breaking the school’s single-season touchdown passing record Croick once held, all of the team’s star players graduated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

To make the all-time top 10 Premier League super subs, players need to have consistently delivered throughout their careers, providing goals and assists.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

I can picture his dad at that game so clearly, wearing a Union scarf and pointing out the best players.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

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