protagonist

noun

pro·​tag·​o·​nist prō-ˈta-gə-nist How to pronounce protagonist (audio)
1
a(1)
: the principal character in a literary work (such as a drama or story)
(2)
: the leading actor or principal character in a television show, movie, book, etc.
b
: an active participant in an event
2
: a leader, proponent, or supporter of a cause : champion

Did you know?

Struggle, or conflict, is central to drama. The protagonist or hero of a play, novel, or film is involved in a struggle of some kind, either against someone or something else or even against his or her own emotions. So the hero is the "first struggler", which is the literal meaning of the Greek word prōtagōnistēs. A character who opposes the hero is the antagonist, from a Greek verb that means literally "to struggle against".

Examples of protagonist in a Sentence

Badlands has two protagonists and Days of Heaven four (though both movies are rich in colorful minor roles). Richard Alleva, Commonweal, 12 Mar. 1999
The protagonists of Gordon's fiction are children who have been saddled with their parents' emotional bad debts. Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 1990
The most adamant opposition to my argument is likely to come from protagonists of secular reason … Glenn Finder, Atlantic, December 1989
She was a leading protagonist in the civil rights movement. Milton Friedman is usually cited as the leading American protagonist of monetarism.
Recent Examples on the Web This chapter determines the fate of one of the series’ most beloved protagonists and playable characters — Aerith Gainsborough — and fans are eager to see what changes, if any, were made to the story. Diego Ramos Bechara, Variety, 1 Mar. 2024 Night Of The Living Dead in 1968 popularized the modern portrayal of zombies, and its Black protagonist, played by the late Duane Jones, broke barriers at a time when racial tensions in the U.S. were fraught post Jim Crow. Brianna Scott, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 Louis’ next book, History of Violence, describes in heartbreaking detail a rape that its protagonist—another avatar for the writer—endured. Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 Similarly, the percentage of films with female protagonists also fell from 33% to 28%. Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 What makes your protagonist such an interesting character to write? Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Opposite Cillian Murphy’s titular protagonist, Downey's Admiral Lewis Strauss serves as J. Robert Oppenheimer’s primary antagonist as the physicist navigates the moral and emotional dilemmas of creating the atomic bomb. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 Big Bang Theory was also No. 1 in the U.S. that year, and many believed the sitcom protagonist Sheldon (Jim Parsons) exhibited autism stereotypes. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2024 The blossoming romance between the two protagonists also gives some insight on the complex Chinese-African relationship. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'protagonist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek prōtagōnistēs, from prōt- prot- + agōnistēs competitor at games, actor, from agōnizesthai to compete, from agōn contest, competition at games — more at agony

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of protagonist was in 1671

Dictionary Entries Near protagonist

Cite this Entry

“Protagonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protagonist. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

protagonist

noun
pro·​tag·​o·​nist prō-ˈtag-ə-nəst How to pronounce protagonist (audio)
: the chief character in a play, novel, or story

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