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# protagonist

noun (a protagonist, protagonists)

«protagonist» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The main character in a story, play, film or game. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/protagonist/#m1)
2. A leading person in a real event, or a strong supporter of an idea or cause. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/protagonist/#m2)

### In the lessons

In English lessons, pupils identify the protagonist (main character) and the antagonist (the character or force against them) when analysing stories. In news and history, the protagonists of a debate or conflict are the main people involved.

### Examples

- Harry Potter is the protagonist of the books. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/protagonist/#x1)
- The protagonist has to overcome a problem by the end. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/protagonist/#x2)
- Who is the antagonist working against the protagonist? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/protagonist/#x3)
- In «Matilda», the protagonist is a clever girl who loves books. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/protagonist/#x4)
- Describe how the protagonist changes in the story. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/protagonist/#x5)
- She was a protagonist in the campaign for clean air. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/protagonist/#x6)

### Note

Countable. Opposite: antagonist. Trap: the protagonist is not always good or a hero; sometimes the main character is a villain. From Greek: «first actor».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «protagonist» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/protagonist/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«protagonist» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/protagonist.html) on Mova free.