thespian

1 of 2

noun

thes·​pi·​an ˈthe-spē-ən 

: actor

thespian

2 of 2

adjective

1

often capitalized [from the tradition that Thespis was the originator of the actor's role] : relating to the drama : dramatic

2

capitalized : of or relating to Thespis

Did you know?

Greek drama was originally entirely performed by choruses. According to tradition, the Greek dramatist Thespis, of the 6th century B.C., was the inventor of tragedy and the first to write roles for the individual actor as distinct from the chorus, and the actor's exchanges with the chorus were the first dramatic dialogue. Since Thespis himself performed the individual parts in his own plays, he was also the first true actor. Ever since choruses disappeared from drama, thespians have filled all the roles in plays. Thespian is also an adjective; thus, we can speak of "thespian ambitions" and "thespian traditions", for example.

Synonyms

Noun

• actor
• impersonator
• mummer
• player
• thesp
• trouper

Examples of thespian in a Sentence

Noun

a renowned thespian and director

although she's “acted” in a couple of horror movies, I'd hardly call her one of our more promising thespians

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But when critically celebrated English thespian William MacCready (Coogan) arrives from London to perform his sophisticated Hamlet, Edwin’s title is thrown into jeopardy. —Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024

According to Harris’ daughter, who confirmed the actors death to the New York Times, the thespian passed away on Friday (Oct. 25) at his home in New York City following a bout with cancer. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 28 Oct. 2024

Adjective

The Godfather turned Al Pacino from a small-time, hustling stage thespian to an international movie star. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024

The nature of a Mike Leigh film is that the characters are developed individually between filmmaker and thespian. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 2