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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
Mark Holgate, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
Now on the other side of 50, the British star is still among the best, most hard-working thespians in the business, having aged into a versatile, vanity-free character-actor groove that suits him well.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024
Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2025
His performance in Top Gun proves the hoary old thespian adage that there are no small parts, just actors who aren’t as good as Val Kilmer.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Thespian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thespian. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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