protean
Americanadjective
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readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable.
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changeable in shape or form, as an amoeba.
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(of an actor or actress) versatile; able to play many kinds of roles.
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(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or suggestive of Proteus.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of protean
Explanation
When Picasso is described as a protean genius, it means that not only was he brilliant, but he changed the way he worked many times. Protean means able to change shape. Proteus was a Greek god who could tell the future, but when he was asked a question he didn't want to answer, he would change shapes. With someone or something protean, you get all the power of shape-shifting, plus some of the menace of a god you cannot control.
Vocabulary lists containing protean
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Hamilton
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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.
Like Matisse in old age, drawing from his bed, Frank’s protean creativity, his legacy of mastery is everlasting.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025
Obergefell, a 5-4 decision, was written by the court’s most protean member, Justice Anthony Kennedy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025
In particular, there is a confused, protean nature of conducting operations among a civilian population you are sworn to defend while simultaneously seeking to prevent them from harming you or others.
From Slate • Jun. 10, 2025
There’s much more to the book than that, including a reflection on the protean musical genius Brian Eno, whose work has involved cybernetic ideas for more than half a century.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2025
In addition to seeming eternal, ubiquitous, protean, and endlessly quotable, Franklin had the most sophisticated sense of timing among all the prominent statesmen of the revolutionary era.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
