actor
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1 performer (n.) A1 Beginner Theatrea person who performs a character in a play, movie, or television show.
a person who portrays a character in a dramatic production. Historically gender-specific, though now frequently used as a gender-neutral term.
ExampleThe lead actor forgot his lines during the second act of the play.
ExampleThe casting director sought an actor capable of conveying deep internal conflict without relying on heavy dialogue.
PitfallShe is a famous actress.She is a famous actor.While 'actress' is still used for women, 'actor' is now the standard gender-neutral term in the industry.
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2 participant (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Academica person, group, or country that is involved in a situation or event.
an entity or agent that takes part in an action or process. Often used in political or social contexts to describe influential parties.
ExampleLocal businesses are important actors in the city's economy.
ExampleInternational observers identified several non-state actors who were instrumental in facilitating the peace negotiations.
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3 grammatical subject (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Sciencethe person or thing that performs the action of a verb.
the semantic role of the entity that performs the action described by the verb. In active sentences, this usually corresponds to the grammatical subject.
ExampleIn the sentence 'The cat chased the mouse', the cat is the actor.
ExampleThe linguist noted that while the grammatical subject changed in the passive construction, the semantic actor remained the same.
UsageIn linguistics, the actor is the 'doer' regardless of whether the sentence is active or passive.
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4 legal representative (n.) C2 Proficiency Formal Archaic Lawa person who represents someone else in a court of law.
a person who acts on behalf of another, such as a guardian or a plaintiff in a legal suit.
ExampleThe court appointed an actor to manage the child's inheritance.
ExampleThe document named him as the primary actor in the suit against the estate.
Teacher's tipThis sense is largely restricted to historical legal texts or specific civil law traditions; modern speakers use 'attorney' or 'plaintiff'.