comedian

noun

co·​me·​di·​an kə-ˈmē-dē-ən 

1

archaic

a

: a writer of comedies

b

: an actor who plays comic roles

2

: a comical individual

specifically : a professional entertainer who uses any of various physical or verbal means to be amusing

Synonyms

• card
• comic
• droll
• farceur
• funnyman
• gagger
• gagman
• gagster
• humorist
• jester
• joker
• jokester
• wag
• wit

Examples of comedian in a Sentence

You'll like my friend. He's a real comedian.

struggled to eke out a living as a comedian in nightclubs

Recent Examples on the Web

But in his everyday style, the comedian is all about striking a balance: Americana with whimsy, streetwear with formalwear. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 25 Jan. 2025

The comedian hopes the city and its population can all take some time to process, but understands his responsibility in bringing everyone together and helping people to move forward. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025

Despite retreating back to a more quiet rural livelihood, the comedian is still busy. —Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 25 Jan. 2025

News of his hosting debut arrived in November, but the comedian found his process disrupted in the wake of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

comedian

noun

co·​me·​di·​an kə-ˈmēd-ē-ən 

1

: an actor who plays in comedy

2

: a comical individual

especially : a humorous professional entertainer