actor
noun
Simple meaning
Someone who acts and gets things done.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
akterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈæktɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A person who acts and gets things done
“He's a principal actor in this affair.”
A person who acts a part in a theatrical play or (later) in film or television; a dramatic performer.
Someone or something that takes part in some action; a doer, an agent.
grammar
The subject performing the action of a verb.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A person who acts and gets things done
While 'actor' most commonly refers to a performer, this less frequent meaning describes someone who takes initiative and gets things done, often in a professional or strategic context.
“He's a principal actor in this affair.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Business meeting
“We need to be proactive actors in the changing market.”
Policy analysis
“Key actors from various nations discussed the peace treaty.”
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “actor in …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Nearby words
- role player , rarer, so it draws attention
Natural pattern: actor in …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use actor
- “He's a principal actor in this affair.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A business agent for an actor.
A wardrobe assistant for an actor.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.