Protagonist (noun)
pro·tag·o·nist [proh-tag-uh-nist]
noun
1. the leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work.
2. a proponent for or advocate of a political cause, social program, etc.
3. the leader or principal person in a movement, cause, etc.
4. the first actor in ancient Greek drama, who played not only the main role, but also other roles when the main character was offstage. Compare deuteragonist, tritagonist.
5. Physiology, agonist.
OTHER WORDS FROM PROTAGONIST
pro·tag·o·nism, noun
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH PROTAGONIST
antagonist proponent
WORDS RELATED TO PROTAGONIST
combatant, hero, idol, mainstay, exponent, champion, lead, warrior, advocate, exemplar, leader, principal, standard-bearer
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Origin: 1665–75; < Greek prōtagōnistḗs actor who plays the first part, literally, first combatant, equivalent to prôt(os) first + agōnistḗs one who contends for a prize, combatant, actor. See proto-, antagonist
EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR PROTAGONIST
As the protagonist gets herself off in front of her impotent husband, she moans “Oh, Gronky.”
‘A GRONKING TO REMEMBER’ SPEED READ: 8 NAUGHTIEST BITS|EMILY SHIRE|JANUARY 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As a result, the exhibit falls short of showing Mary as real woman, as a protagonist in her own life story.
THE VIRGIN MARY LOOKBOOK|WILLIAM O’CONNOR|DECEMBER 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dave Eggers wrote What Is The What after conducting hundreds of hours of interviews with his protagonist.
THE BIRTH OF THE NOVEL|NICK ROMEO|NOVEMBER 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The protagonist is the creator of Wonder Woman, William Moulton Marston, born in 1893.
WONDER WOMAN’S CREATION STORY IS WILDER THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE|TOM ARNOLD-FORSTER|NOVEMBER 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The series began with protagonist, Neil Truman, an investment banker, discovering his wife having sex with a male escort.
IS ‘SATISFACTION’ A LOVE STORY THAT’S TOO REAL ABOUT SEX AND MARRIAGE?|DAVID MASCIOTRA|SEPTEMBER 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But it must be borne in mind that the woman here is the wife of the protagonist.
WOMAN TRIUMPHANT|VICENTE BLASCO IBAEZ
I became Man in her imagination, the protagonist of the world.
THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS|HERBERT GEORGE WELLS
The protagonist was Lison Frandin, an artist known and loved by all Italy.
MY RECOLLECTIONS|JULES MASSENET
He was the opposite in all respects of his protagonist, Mr. Gladstone.
THE NUTTALL ENCYCLOPAEDIA|EDITED BY REV. JAMES WOOD
Of Bothwell, the third protagonist in the tragedy of Three, we have no portrait, and but discrepant descriptions.
THE MYSTERY OF MARY STUART|ANDREW LANG
