the choice of actors to play particular roles in a play or movie
"The director spent weeks on the casting before finally selecting an unknown actor for the lead role."
The act or process of selecting actors, singers, dancers, models, etc.
"The director spent weeks on casting to find the perfect lead actor for the new play."
In plain English: Casting is when someone chooses actors to play roles in a movie, show, or play.
"The casting director chose her for the lead role in the new movie."
Usage: In entertainment contexts, casting refers specifically to the selection process for roles rather than the physical creation of objects from molten metal. Use this term when discussing how directors choose performers, not when describing manufacturing techniques.
present participle of cast
"The casting process involves pouring molten metal into a mold to create a desired shape."
In plain English: To cast means to throw something with force, like tossing a ball into the air.
"The director is casting new actors for our upcoming play."
The word casting comes from Middle English castynge, which combined the verb cast with a suffix meaning "-ing." It originally referred to the act of throwing or molding something into shape and has retained that core sense in modern usage.