comedian
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Comedian is the broadest and most common term for a professional who makes people laugh on stage, television, or film. Comic is very close in meaning and can be used interchangeably in most contexts, though it may emphasise the stand-up or sketch format more directly. Humorist describes someone whose comedy has a more literary or intellectual quality, often appearing in columns, essays, or written satire rather than live performance. Clown belongs to a different performance tradition — circus or children’s entertainment with exaggerated costumes and physical slapstick — and using it for a stand-up comedian may sound inaccurate or dismissive. If you mean someone on a comedy-club stage, comedian or comic is the right choice. If you mean a writer who makes you laugh through clever prose, humorist fits better.
Common collocations
Etymology
Comedian entered English in the 1500s from French comédien, which came from Latin comoedia (“comedy”), and originally referred to an actor in a comedy play. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, as live theatre gave way to variety shows, radio, and television, the word shifted to its modern meaning: a performer whose main job is being funny, whether on stage or screen.