Origin: Greek suffix -ist
Protagonist has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
the principal character in a work of fiction
"The author decided to give the protagonist a surprising twist at the very end of the novel."
The main character, or one of the main characters, in any story, such as a literary work or drama.
"After reading the first chapter, I finally understood why the shy librarian was chosen as the protagonist instead of the more popular boy."
The word protagonist comes from Ancient Greek, where it originally meant "a chief actor." It is formed by combining words for "first" and "actor" or "participant."