What does comedian mean?
A comedian is a performer or writer whose craft is comedy — someone who makes audiences laugh, most visibly through stand-up routines but also through sketch shows, sitcoms, films, and satirical writing. The word carries both a professional and a casual sense: it names a career built on humor, yet in everyday conversation people also call an amusing friend 'a real comedian.' That informal usage can shade into irony, since calling someone a comedian may suggest they are being cheeky or taking themselves less seriously than the moment warrants. Historically, the term derives from 'comedy,' tracing back through French and Latin to Greek roots meaning revelry and merriment. Once associated chiefly with music-hall clowns and vaudeville acts, the word now commands considerable prestige: comedians are widely regarded as sharp observers of society, and the best are celebrated as writers and social commentators in their own right. The feminine form 'comedienne' survives but is increasingly rare.
nounA comedian is a person, especially a professional entertainer, whose work consists of making people laugh, whether through stand-up performance, acting, or writing humorous material. It can also refer to the writer or performer of comedy in a more general literary sense.
- A professional entertainer who performs comedy to make an audience laugh, as in stand-up or sketch comedy.
- A person who writes or performs comic material in theatre, film, or television.
- Loosely, any amusing person — 'he's a real comedian' — sometimes with a sarcastic edge implying someone who thinks they're funnier than they are.
"The comedian had the audience in stitches within minutes of taking the stage."
"She started out as a comedian at open-mic nights before landing her own Netflix special."
"Stop being such a comedian and take this meeting seriously."
Standard plural; used freely in both formal and informal contexts.
"The festival featured dozens of comedians from around the world."
The word 'comedian' once carried a whiff of disrepute — in the 19th century it could imply a mere clown, and only in the 20th did it become a badge of genuine artistic respect.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of comedian
The word 'comedian' entered English in the early 17th century, derived from 'comedy,' which came from Old French 'comédie' and ultimately from Latin 'comoedia,' borrowed from Greek 'kōmōidia' — a compound of 'kōmos' (revelry, festive procession) and 'ōidē' (song). Its earliest English uses referred broadly to writers or performers of stage comedy; the modern sense of a professional entertainer specializing in humor solidified over the 19th and 20th centuries. Cognates appear across European languages, including French 'comédien' and Italian 'comico.'
How comedian is actually used
The word is neutral to positive when describing a professional entertainer, but in informal British and American speech, calling someone 'a comedian' can be mildly sarcastic, implying they are being flippant rather than genuinely funny. The feminine form 'comedienne' was once standard but has largely fallen out of use; 'comedian' is now common for all genders.
Easily confused with comedian
'Comedy' is the genre or body of humorous work itself, while 'comedian' refers to the person who performs or writes it.