starring

American  

[stahr-ing] / ˈstɑr ɪŋ /

adjective

1. featured or celebrated as a star in a movie, on a sports team, etc..

   He was already the starring quarterback on his high school football team, which was on its way to a state championship.

2. (of a character or role) leading, central, or primary.

   The earliest performance I can remember is when I played the starring role in a drama called The Littlest Angel at church.

   As the town’s largest employer, the university also plays a starring role in the local economy.

3. featuring a specified performer.

   They didn't give a beginner a starring movie when I started acting 18 years ago.

---

Etymology

Origin of starring

star ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

The 2013 comedy starring Keri Russell comes to the streaming platform as part of its ‘Austen Forever’ celebration, which honors the 250th anniversary of the author’s birth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Dan Fogelman’s latest TV series starring Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden is a mystery wrapped in a conspiracy wrapped in a sci-fi premise.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The Royal Iris of the Mersey featured in the 1965 film Ferry Cross the Mersey, starring the band Gerry and the Pacemakers, who also sang the legendary title song.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

It is adapted from a novel by Andy Weir, the author behind the 2015 hit "The Martian" starring Matt Damon.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

I cleared away the episodes of Riptide and Misfits of Science I’d programmed and dropped in a few back-to-back flicks starring Gamera, my favorite giant flying turtle.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline