Meaning & use
protagonist
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
The leading character in a story, play or film, whose experiences the plot follows.
Grammar: Countable: the protagonist of the novel.
Patterns
- the protagonist of something
The protagonist of the novel is a young nurse.
The film's protagonist faces a difficult choice.
A protagonist does not have to be a hero.
nouncountableformal
A leading person in a real event, struggle or movement.
Grammar: Often used in news and history about key figures.
Patterns
- a protagonist in something
She was a key protagonist in the peace talks.
The two protagonists of the dispute refused to meet.
The scientist became a protagonist in the debate over climate policy.
nouncountablerare
A person who strongly supports a cause or idea, often used mistakenly or loosely.
Grammar: Considered by some to be a loose use, since the word historically means main character.
Patterns
- a protagonist of something
He is a protagonist of free trade.
She is a protagonist of clean energy.
Word forms
| plural | protagonists |
|---|
Common combinations
- main protagonist
- The main protagonist of the series is a detective.
- tragic protagonist
- A tragic protagonist often has a fatal flaw.
- sympathetic protagonist
- The author created a sympathetic protagonist.
- female protagonist
- The film has a strong female protagonist.
- play the protagonist
- He plays the protagonist in the school play.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hero
- Hero suggests brave or admirable character, but a protagonist can be flawed or even bad.
- lead
- Lead describes an actor in the main role, not a character in the story.
- main character
- Main character is the plain everyday phrase with the same meaning.
- central figure
- Central figure is general and can describe a real person at the heart of events.
Opposites
Word family
- protagonism noun
- the quality of being a leading player in events
- antagonist noun
- the opponent of the main character
- agonist noun
- a person engaged in a struggle, from the same Greek root
- deuteragonist noun
- the second most important character
Commonly confused: protagonist or antagonist?
protagonist vs antagonist
The antagonist opposes the protagonist; they are opposite roles, so they are easy to mix up.
Practice
In many stories, the ____ is the main character, while the antagonist opposes them.
Choose one answer.
The protagonist is the central character. A narrator tells the story, a chorus comments on it and a prologue is an introduction.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “protagonist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.