actress

noun

ac·​tress ˈak-trəs How to pronounce actress (audio)
: a woman or girl who is an actor
actressy adjective

Examples of actress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Of particular pain to him is watching Moore, who died recently, and who never made it as an actress. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025 Creed actress Tessa Thompson, Evanescence singer Amy Lee and The Traitors season four contestant Bob the Drag Queen also posted videos to their Instagram Stories at the protests. Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2025 Steve Winwood, 10cc singer Glenn Gouldman, actress Elaine Paige and Love Island star Georgia Harrison were also among the those honored, the BBC reports. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2025 In the comments, industry peers shared supportive emojis, including The Boys‘ costar Susan Heyward and See actress Nesta Cooper. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for actress

Word History

Etymology

actor + -ess

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of actress was in 1586

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Actress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actress. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

actress

noun
ac·​tress ˈak-trəs How to pronounce actress (audio)
: a woman or girl who acts especially in a play or movie or on television

More from Merriam-Webster on actress

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!