1. the main characters in stories, novels, plays, or movies
Usage: plural of protagonist
2. the leading supporters or champions of a cause or movement
Usage: formal

Examples

• The novel features two protagonists who struggle against injustice.
• Both protagonists in the play face difficult moral choices.
• The movie’s protagonists must work together to save their town.
• She studied the protagonists in Shakespeare’s tragedies.
• The protagonists of the civil rights movement inspired millions.
• These environmental activists became protagonists for climate action.