protean

[ proh-tee-uhn, proh-tee- ]

/ ˈproʊ ti ən, proʊˈti- /

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See synonyms for protean on Thesaurus.com

adjective

readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable.

changeable in shape or form, as an amoeba.

(of an actor or actress) versatile; able to play many kinds of roles.

(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or suggestive of Proteus.

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Origin of protean

First recorded in 1590–1600; Prote(us) + -an

OTHER WORDS FROM protean

pro·te·an·ism, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH protean

protean , protein

Words nearby protean

protanomaly, protanopia, protasis, prote-, protea, protean, Proteas, protease, protease inhibitor, protease inhibitors, protect

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use protean in a sentence

There seemed a sense that his blackness alone lent him a protean kind of wisdom, power, promise—hope, we might recall.
How Barack and Michelle Have Normalized Black Prominence|John McWhorter|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As you stare at the protean work, the massive, fake, ink landscape fools you.
A New Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum Puts a Modern Face on Chinese Art|Melik Kaylan|January 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All language is protean, a moment-in-time snap-shot of evolution in action.
How I Write: Paul Lynch|Noah Charney|December 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Yet how, in this age of protean trends and indecipherable jargon, are we to draw the line?
When Not to Take a Selfie|James Poulos|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Lupus is a protean disease that can cause inflammation in just about every part of the body, including the synovium.
What’s Synovitis—and How Sick Will It Make Lady Gaga?|Kent Sepkowitz|February 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Curiosity, thoughtless mirth, mock humility, and other symptoms of the protean vice are painted by a master.
The World's Greatest Books, Vol X|Various
Remains precisely the question: man feeling this protean capacity to grow a new organ: what organ?
The Natural Philosophy of Love|Remy de Gourmont
Although matter is protean and its transformations limitless, there are certain changes which cannot be made.
The Popular Science Monthly, September, 1900|Various
The story of Proteus itself is Protean, and must be grasped in its essence through all its appearances.
Homer's Odyssey|Denton J. Snider
Keats was often impatient of this Protean quality of his own mind.
Keats|Sidney Colvin

British Dictionary definitions for protean

protean

/ (prəʊˈtiːən, ˈprəʊtɪən) /

adjective

readily taking on various shapes or forms; variable

Word Origin for protean

C16: from Proteus

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

Medical definitions for protean

protean

[ prō′tē-ən, prō-tē′- ]

adj.

Readily taking on varied shapes, forms, or meanings.

protean

Origin of protean

OTHER WORDS FROM protean

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH protean

Words nearby protean

Words related to protean

How to use protean in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for protean

Word Origin for protean

Medical definitions for protean