as in versatile
able to do many different kinds of things
a protean actor who is equally comfortable with light comedy and serious drama
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Recent Examples of protean
Davis spent his career sounding the depths of his protean creativity.
—
Helena Alonso Paisley, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2025
Adding to the otherworldly ambience is the shifting jazz-folk score by Mary Komasa and Antoni Łazarkiewicz, which, like our hero, is similarly protean in nature.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
As the party’s protean policy evolves, Smith and his colleagues are tasked with systematically destroying any historical records that conflict with the current version of history.
—Laura Beers, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2025
His model is aspirational, situation-dependent, protean—and well-suited for times in which the stuff humans build destabilize traditional ways of life and undermine longstanding values.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for protean
Helena Alonso Paisley, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2025
Adding to the otherworldly ambience is the shifting jazz-folk score by Mary Komasa and Antoni Łazarkiewicz, which, like our hero, is similarly protean in nature.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
As the party’s protean policy evolves, Smith and his colleagues are tasked with systematically destroying any historical records that conflict with the current version of history.
—Laura Beers, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2025
His model is aspirational, situation-dependent, protean—and well-suited for times in which the stuff humans build destabilize traditional ways of life and undermine longstanding values.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for protean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protean
Adjective
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The crumbling industrial scenery by Riccardo Hernández is visually stunning and versatile, and it’s gorgeously illuminated by lighting designer Robert Wierzel.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Green is a surprisingly versatile color.—
Jana Ackermann,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Think evolution, not reinvention for a modern matte finish that feels more dimensional, skin-like, and adaptable to different coverage preferences.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
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According to Mačiulis, the key lessons from Greenland will centre on designing systems adaptable to different climates and robust enough to operate across a wide range of conditions — knowledge that will directly inform the next generation of optical ground stations.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protean. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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