starring

American

[stahr-ing] / ˈstɑr ɪŋ /

adjective

featured or celebrated as a star in a movie, on a sports team, etc..

He was already the starring quarterback on his high school football team, which was on its way to a state championship.
(of a character or role) leading, central, or primary.

The earliest performance I can remember is when I played the starring role in a drama called The Littlest Angel at church.
As the town’s largest employer, the university also plays a starring role in the local economy.
featuring a specified performer.

They didn't give a beginner a starring movie when I started acting 18 years ago.

Etymology

Origin of starring

star ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey has won the Player of the Championship award after his starring role in the 2026 Men's Six Nations.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Pulitzer winner Stephen Adly Guirgis adapts the classic Sidney Lumet film about a Brooklyn bank heist in a production starring Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Dan Fogelman’s latest TV series starring Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden is a mystery wrapped in a conspiracy wrapped in a sci-fi premise.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

It is adapted from a novel by Andy Weir, the author behind the 2015 hit "The Martian" starring Matt Damon.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

She had been practicing so hard for her wonderful starring role.

From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023