emcee

1 of 2

noun

em·​cee ˌem-ˈsē How to pronounce emcee (audio)
plural emcees
1
: master of ceremonies
especially : a person who acts as host for a program of entertainment
The emcee primes the crowd and rock music pulses, bolstered by lasers and fireworks. Allison Glock
2
: a performer of rap music : rapper
… MC Lyte, the first female hip-hop emcee to release a solo album …Deena Zaru

emcee

2 of 2

verb

emceed; emceeing; emcees

transitive + intransitive

1
: to perform the role of a master of ceremonies : to act as emcee for
emceed an awards dinner
… he reports that one week after the surgery he was back emceeing at the Improv …Roger Friedman
2
: to perform rap music : rap
… [DMX's] love of hip-hop—from production to emceeing—built his name as an underground force in New York City.Kevin L. Clark
… [Lauryn] Hill was so wildly proficient at singing and emceeingClover Hope
The Hulu personality [Khloé Kardashian] followed up by emceeing her own verse, rapping, "Then my birthday is in June / And I'm gonna need you to help me make my cake, too."Kat Pettibone

Examples of emcee in a Sentence

Noun acted as emcee for the evening's entertainment at the political convention Verb She agreed to emcee at an awards dinner.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The emcee, whose real name is Rufus Lee Cooper III, reportedly took his own life in Atlanta, according to fellow Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean who shared the news of his death on social media. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 5 July 2025 Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA has stirred conversation with bold claims about the lyrical supremacy of his cousin and fellow Clan member, GZA, stating his belief that no emcee in Hip-Hop history could defeat him in a battle. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 16 June 2025
Verb
Jack Nicholson, who was a buddy, was there emceeing. Gary Graff, Billboard, 9 July 2025 This, That & The Other travels as a wedding band and also emcees events. Lillian Metzmeier, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for emcee

Word History

Etymology

Noun

MC

First Known Use

Noun

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of emcee was in 1930

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Cite this Entry

“Emcee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emcee. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

emcee

1 of 2 noun
em·​cee ˈem-ˈsē How to pronounce emcee (audio)

emcee

2 of 2 verb
emceed; emceeing
: to act as master of ceremonies for something : host
emcee a television show
Etymology

Noun

an altered form of M.C., from master of ceremonies

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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