protagonist
UK /pɹəˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/ · US /pɹoʊˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/ noun
Forms protagonists
- noun (authorship) The main character, or one of the main characters, in any story, such as a literary work or drama.
- noun A leading person in a contest; a principal performer.
- noun (proscribed) An advocate or champion of a cause or course of action.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πρωταγωνιστής (prōtagōnistḗs, “a chief actor”), from πρῶτος (prôtos, “first”) + ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “a combatant, pleader, actor”). By surface analysis, prot- (“first”) + agonist (“combatant, participant”).
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “protagonist”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details