comedian
/kəˈmiː.di.ən/ noun
Forms comedians comedienne
- noun An entertainer who performs in a humorous manner, especially by telling jokes.
- noun (by extension) Any person who is humorous or amusing, either characteristically or on a particular occasion.
- noun (dated) A person who performs in theatrical plays.
- noun (obsolete) A writer of comedies.
Synonyms
comic laughsmith card cutup gagster joker wag wit actor player thespian funnyman funnywoman
Etymology
From French comédien, from comédie + -ien, from Old French comedie, from Latin cōmoedia, from Ancient Greek κωμῳδία (kōmōidía). By surface analysis, comed(y) + -ian.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An actor or player in comedy. "The famous comedian, Roscius." Middleton.
- noun A writer of comedy. Milton.
Etymology [Cf. F. comédien.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “comedian”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details