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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.
Examples of thespian in a Sentence
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
From Jessica Williams' selfie with Harrison Ford, to Leighton Meester and Adam Brody's date night to Cynthia Erivo's eye-catching manicure of the night, these A-list thespians made the SAG Awards a night to remember.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 27 Feb. 2025
Only the muscle twitching in her neck betrays this queenly act; how Shaw manages to switch on this apparently involuntary tell is a thespian mystery.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Thespian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thespian. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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