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View synonyms for

protagonist

[ proh-tag-uh-nist ]

noun

  1. the leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work.
  2. a proponent for or advocate of a political cause, social program, etc.
  3. the leader or principal person in a movement, cause, etc.
  4. the first actor in ancient Greek drama, who played not only the main role, but also other roles when the main character was offstage. Compare deuteragonist, tritagonist.
  5. Physiology. agonist.


protagonist

/ əʊˈæɡəɪ /

noun

  1. the principal character in a play, story, etc
  2. a supporter, esp when important or respected, of a cause, political party, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

protagonist

  1. The principal character in a literary work. Hamlet , for example, is the protagonist of the play by William Shakespeare that bears his name.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈٲDzԾ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ·ٲo·Ծ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of protagonist1

First recorded in 1665–75; from Greek ōٲōԾḗs “actor who plays the first part,” literally, “first combatant,” equivalent to ô(Dz) “first” + ōԾḗs “one who contends for a prize, combatant, actor”; proto-, antagonist
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Word History and Origins

Origin of protagonist1

C17: from Greek ōٲōԾŧ, from ōٴDz first + ōԾŧ actor
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

My favorite part of vampire movies is watching the protagonist realize the first weapon you need to kill a vampire is not a cross, garlic or sunlight.

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Had you given much thought to what your protagonist deserved?

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This places Pedro Pascal’s “The Last of Us” protagonist Joel Miller in a noble crowd of flawed figures whose actions shaped the lives of everyone around them for better or worse.

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This frankness means I’m inclined to believe Remmick and his burgeoning cult of bloodsuckers when they swear that the afterlife is the only place where our protagonists can truly be free.

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Unfair: Scenes like protagonist Patrick Bateman's murder of a colleague set to the Huey Lewis song "Hip to Be Square" carry the movie into the future mostly as social media parodies.

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protactiniumProtagoras