protagonist
/pɹoʊˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.67 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The main character, or one of the main characters, in any story, such as a literary work or drama.
noun
An advocate or champion of a cause or course of action.
Example Sentences
- "It was toward the end of the sixteenth century that the communities in Venice, Mantua, Ferrara, Padua, and Casale Monferrato, inspired by the Renaissance music, wanted to introduce some modernization into the service. The greatest protagonist of the idea was the encyclopedic Jewish scholar Leon of Modena."
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *h₂eǵ-, πρωταγωνιστής
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /pɹoʊˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/
- British English: /pɹəˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/