protean

[ proh-tee-uh n, proh-tee- ]

/ ˈproʊ ti ən, proʊˈti- /

SEE MORE 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.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

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

Origin of protean

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

Related formspro·te·an·ism, noun

Can be confusedprotean protein

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for protean

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
But the devil in all his Protean shapes has been at his elbow, delighted at that father's indifference.
Ginger-Snaps|Fanny Fern
Our protean enemy took his most fearful form in the War when he became a Hidden Hand.
Waiting for Daylight|Henry Major Tomlinson
The subtile thought in many Protean shapes played before her fancy, but she would not try to catch it—no!
The Golden Dog|William Kirby
Remains precisely the question: man feeling this protean capacity to grow a new organ: what organ?
The Natural Philosophy of Love|Remy de Gourmont
Then it is that this Protean country offers its most impressive aspect.
The Mediterranean|T. G. (Thomas Gray) Bonney, E. A. R. Ball, H. D. Traill, Grant Allen, and Arthur Griffiths

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

Word Origin and History for protean

Protean

adj.

1590s, from Greek Proteus, sea god (son of Oceanus and Tethys) who could change his form; his name is literally "first," from protos "first" (see proto-).

protean

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of protean

Examples from the Web for protean

British Dictionary definitions for protean

protean

adjective

Word Origin for protean

Word Origin and History for protean

Protean

Medicine definitions for protean

protean

adj.