protagonista

protagonist

noun proh-tah-goh-NEES-tah Less Common

Origin: From Greek prōtagōnistēs (first actor).

Also means

main character

Usage Note

Protagonista is common gender — el protagonista (male lead), la protagonista (female lead) — and is invariable in form. Beyond literature and film it is used in news to mean 'the central figure' in an event (fue la protagonista de la noticia). The verb protagonizar means 'to star in' or 'to be the lead of'.

Examples

"La protagonista de la novela es una joven escritora."

Natural Translation

The protagonist of the novel is a young writer.

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