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View synonyms for protagonist

protagonist

[ proh-tag-uh-nist ]

noun

  1. the leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work.
  2. a proponent for or advocate of a political cause, social program, etc.
  3. the leader or principal person in a movement, cause, etc.
  4. the first actor in ancient Greek drama, who played not only the main role, but also other roles when the main character was offstage. Compare deuteragonist, tritagonist.
  5. Physiology. agonist.


protagonist

/ prəʊˈtæɡənɪst /

noun

  1. the principal character in a play, story, etc
  2. a supporter, esp when important or respected, of a cause, political party, etc
“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


protagonist

  1. The principal character in a literary work. Hamlet , for example, is the protagonist of the play by William Shakespeare that bears his name.


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Derived Forms

  • proˈtagonism, noun
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Other Words From

  • pro·tago·nism noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of protagonist1

First recorded in 1665–75; from Greek prōtagōnistḗs “actor who plays the first part,” literally, “first combatant,” equivalent to prôt(os) “first” + agōnistḗs “one who contends for a prize, combatant, actor”; proto-, antagonist
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Word History and Origins

Origin of protagonist1

C17: from Greek prōtagōnistēs, from prōtos first + agōnistēs actor
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Example Sentences

The trailer shows the protagonist digging what appears to be a grave, knifing a bad guy and conducting an interrogation with a hatchet.

In the most popular films of 2019, protagonists were more diverse than ever, and there were more women were behind the camera.

From Fortune

In the 2013 movie Her, the protagonist develops a romantic relationship with a virtual assistant, and is soon disillusioned when he realizes that he was projecting human feelings and motivations onto “her” alien mind.

Wild boars, traffic-snarling flocks of sheep that cross the road from one field to another, mice and snakes are the regular protagonists in any chit-chat about life in Sant’Ippolito.

From Fortune

The Jedi, the main protagonists in Star Wars, rely on the light, of course.

As the protagonist gets herself off in front of her impotent husband, she moans “Oh, Gronky.”

Early on, the sexual protagonist complains that her Molson-drinking husband is pretty much an incompetent Neanderthal.

As a result, the exhibit falls short of showing Mary as real woman, as a protagonist in her own life story.

Dave Eggers wrote What Is The What after conducting hundreds of hours of interviews with his protagonist.

The protagonist is the creator of Wonder Woman, William Moulton Marston, born in 1893.

He draws to himself rather more than his share of interest and sympathy, to the detriment of the protagonist.

Its protagonist had come home after completing his education in Vienna; and there was the family gathered to greet him.

It is in fact the first division of literature in which the heroine assumes the position of a protagonist.

He had lost the protagonist against whom, for a while, he had stood almost alone, and soon we find him complaining of neglect.

And so with Pepys and his adored protagonist: adored not blindly, but with trenchant insight and enduring, human toleration.

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