Oxford Dictionary English

    protagonist

    noun
    noun
    BrE BrE//prəˈtæɡənɪst//
    ; NAmE NAmE//prəˈtæɡənɪst//
    (formal) Film plots, Characters in a story, Elements of a story
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  1. 1 the main character in a play, film/movie or book compare hero Wordfindercharacteranti-hero, baddy, character, goody, hero, love interest, narrator, protagonist, trait, villain See related entries: Film plots, Characters in a story, Elements of a story
  2. 2one of the main people in a real event, especially a competition, battle or struggle
  3. 3an active supporter of a policy or movement, especially one that is trying to change something synonym champion a leading protagonist of the conservation movement
    4.  Word Originlate 17th cent.: from Greek prōtagōnistēs, from prōtos ‘first in importance’ + agōnistēs ‘actor’.Extra examples At that time, films rarely had a woman as the main protagonist. Bohi Di, first person narrator and protagonist of the novel Oliver Twist, the young protagonist/​hero The hero/​heroine/​protagonist rescues everybody from the burning building. The main protagonist is a cruel, selfish man.
See protagonist in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishSee protagonist in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: protagonist
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