Meanings
plural protagonists
- authorshipThe main character, or one of the main characters, in any story, such as a literary work or drama.
Antonyms: antagonist
- proscribedAn advocate or champion of a cause or course of action.
1 more example
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.
1929, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, Jewish Music: Its Historical Development, page 198
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe main character, or one of the main characters, in any story, such as a literary work or drama.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna person who backs a politician or a team etc.
nounthe principal character in a work of fiction
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*pér
- Proto-Indo-European*pró
- Ancient Greekπρό (pró)
- Ancient Greekπρῶτος (prôtos)
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ger-
- Proto-Hellenic*agéřřō
- Ancient Greekἀγείρω (ageírō)
- Ancient Greekἀγών (agṓn)
- Ancient Greekἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai)
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓γωνῐστής (ăgōnĭstḗs)
- Ancient Greekπρωταγωνιστής (prōtagōnistḗs)
- Englishprotagonist
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”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic بَطَل, بَطَلَة
- بَطَل (baṭal)main character
- بَطَلَة (baṭala)main character
- مُتَصَدِّر (mutaṣaddir)leading person in a contest
Bulgarian гла́вен геро́й, гла́вна герои́ня
- гла́вен геро́й (gláven gerój)main character
- гла́вна герои́ня (glávna geroínja)main character
Catalan protagonista, protagonista
- protagonistamain character
- protagonistaleading person in a contest
Chinese Mandarin 主角, 主人公
- 主角 (zhǔjué)main character
- 主人公 (zhǔréngōng)main character
Czech protagonista
- protagonistamain character
Danish hovedperson
- hovedpersonmain character
Dutch protagonist, hoofdrolspeler
- protagonistmain character
- hoofdrolspelerleading person in a contest
- hoofdrolspeelsterleading person in a contest
Esperanto ĉefrolulo, ĉefpersono
- ĉefrolulomain character
- ĉefpersonomain character
Estonian peategelane
- peategelanemain character
Finnish päähenkilö, sankari
- päähenkilömain character
- sankarimain character
- esitaistelijaadvocate
- uranuurtajaadvocate
- edelläkävijäadvocate
- tienraivaajaadvocate
French protagoniste, héros
- protagonistemain character
- hérosmain character
- héroïnemain character
German Protagonist, Protagonistin
- Protagonistmain character
- Protagonistinmain character
- Hauptfigurmain character
- Heldmain character
Greek πρωταγωνιστής, πρωταγωνιστής
- πρωταγωνιστής (protagonistís)main character
- πρωταγωνιστής (protagonistís)leading person in a contest
Hebrew דְּמוּת רָאשִׁית, גִּבּוֹר
- דְּמוּת רָאשִׁית (dmut rashít)main character
- גִּבּוֹר (gibor)main character
- מוֹבִיל (movil)leading person in a contest
Hungarian főszereplő, főhős
- főszereplőmain character
- főhősmain character
- főszereplőleading person in a contest
Indonesian protagonis, tokoh utama
- protagonismain character
- tokoh utamamain character
- pemeran utamamain character
Italian protagonista
- protagonistamain character
Japanese 主人公
- 主人公 (shujinkō)main character
Korean 주인공
- 주인공 (ju'in'gong)main character
Malay protagonis, watak utama
- protagonismain character
- watak utamamain character
- protagonisleading person in a contest
- watak utamaleading person in a contest
Māori kiritoa, kiritoa
- kiritoamain character
- kiritoaleading person in a contest
Norwegian Bokmål hovedperson, protagonist
- hovedpersonmain character
- protagonistmain character
- protagonistadvocate
Polish protagonista, protagonistka
- protagonistamain character
- protagonistkamain character
- bohatermain character
- główny bohatermain character
- protagonistaleading person in a contest
- protagonistkaleading person in a contest
Portuguese protagonista, protagonista
- protagonistamain character
- protagonistaleading person in a contest
- protagonistaadvocate
Romanian protagonist
- protagonistmain character
Russian гла́вный геро́й, гла́вная герои́ня
- гла́вный геро́й (glávnyj gerój)main character
- гла́вная герои́ня (glávnaja geroínja)main character
- протагони́ст (protagoníst)main character
- протагони́стка (protagonístka)main character
Spanish protagonista, protagonista
- protagonistamain character
- protagonistaleading person in a contest
- protagonistaadvocate
Swahili mhusika mkuu
- mhusika mkuumain character
Swedish huvudperson, protagonist
- huvudpersonmain character
- protagonistmain character
- förespråkareadvocate
- förkämpeadvocate
Turkish ana karakter, kahraman
- ana karaktermain character
- kahramanmain character
Ukrainian головни́й геро́й, головна́ герої́ня
- головни́й геро́й (holovnýj herój)main character
- головна́ герої́ня (holovná herojínja)main character
- протагоні́ст (protahoníst)main character
- протагоні́стка (protahonístka)main character
Vietnamese nam chính, nữ chính
- nam chínhmain character
- nữ chínhmain character
- nhân vật chínhmain character
Cite this entry
protagonist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protagonist
“protagonist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protagonist. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “protagonist,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protagonist.
Source: protagonist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.