everyman

noun

ev·​ery·​man ˈev-rē-ˌman How to pronounce everyman (audio)
often capitalized
: the typical or ordinary person

Examples of everyman in a Sentence

an actor who is seen as the image of everyman despite his superstar status, in his movies the actor is able to play the role of an everyman quite convincingly
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a world full of cutthroat competitors with questionable morals, this likable and generous everyman struggling with how to react to over-the-top reality TV behavior had viewers rooting him on every step of the way. Ew Staff, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025 Across a 45-year career in cinema, Yakusho has worked with every major Japanese director of his generation and inhabited over 80 characters, spanning salarymen, samurai, gangsters, cops, seducers and everymen of all stripes. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2025 But over the next 50-odd years, Hackman would become the greatest, coolest, earthiest star of what’s now known as New Hollywood: an everyman who defined a generation of moviemaking better than anyone else. David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025 In a world full of cutthroat competitors with questionable morals, this likable and generous everyman struggling with how to react to over-the-top reality TV behavior had viewers rooting him on every step of the way. Ew Staff, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for everyman

Word History

Etymology

Everyman, allegorical character in The Summoning of Everyman, 15th century English morality play

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of everyman was in 1901

Cite this Entry

“Everyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/everyman. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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