# actor

/ˈæktɝ/ (US) · /ˈæktɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/actor
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. performer

noun · CEFR A1

a person who performs a character in a play, movie, or television show.

For teachers: a person who portrays a character in a dramatic production. Historically gender-specific, though now frequently used as a gender-neutral term.

- The lead actor forgot his lines during the second act of the play.
- The casting director sought an actor capable of conveying deep internal conflict without relying on heavy dialogue.

### 2. participant

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

a person, group, or country that is involved in a situation or event.

For teachers: an entity or agent that takes part in an action or process. Often used in political or social contexts to describe influential parties.

- Local businesses are important actors in the city's economy.
- International observers identified several non-state actors who were instrumental in facilitating the peace negotiations.

### 3. grammatical subject

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the person or thing that performs the action of a verb.

For teachers: the semantic role of the entity that performs the action described by the verb. In active sentences, this usually corresponds to the grammatical subject.

- In the sentence 'The cat chased the mouse', the cat is the actor.
- The linguist noted that while the grammatical subject changed in the passive construction, the semantic actor remained the same.

Usage: In linguistics, the actor is the 'doer' regardless of whether the sentence is active or passive.

### 4. legal representative

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Archaic

a person who represents someone else in a court of law.

For teachers: a person who acts on behalf of another, such as a guardian or a plaintiff in a legal suit.

- The court appointed an actor to manage the child's inheritance.
- The document named him as the primary actor in the suit against the estate.

Teaching tip: This sense is largely restricted to historical legal texts or specific civil law traditions; modern speakers use 'attorney' or 'plaintiff'.

## Examples

- The lead actor delivers a powerful performance in the new play.
- After years of working in local theater, the actor finally landed a recurring role on a popular television series.
- The director sought an actor capable of conveying profound emotional shifts through subtle facial expressions rather than relying on grand, theatrical gestures.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.