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television star

television star

5 1.8
A famous actor or presenter who appears often on TV
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən stɑr/
translation icon : estrella de televisión
  • I worry about, you know, how much pressure my daughters feel in a society that features anorexic actresses and models and television stars.
  • a reality television star
  • a movie and television star
  • a former television star

And I've seen stand ups who just wanted to from stand up to become a television star or a movie star or whatever talk show host.

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Examples

  • At the moment, she was a big television star, and eventually she'd make movies again.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • From the publisher: From tennis sensations to television stars, it's hard to deny the pull of powerful, talented sisters.

    Blog text (10)
  • And I am sorry, she is a television star.

    Blog text (10)
  • Kelly has worked with several celebrities in the past, including musicians and television stars.

    Blog text (29)
  • She's a reality television star, a writer of a hit autobiography, and now it seems a music star.

    Blog text (1)
  • Film and television star Cynthia Gibb will host the 1993 World's Largest Concert, scheduled to air on selected PBS stations on March 11.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The three participating men were a 28-year-old university graduate and television star, a well-known 50-year-old actor, and a 35-year-old comedian and farmer.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Last year, she became a beloved television star after her show topped the ratings.

  • Many people dream of becoming a television star and making it big on screen.

  • After years of hard work, he finally achieved his goal of being a television star.

Synonyms

star
vstelevision star
1.1

A very famous and admired performer like an actor or musician

is narrower focusing on those known for regular television appearances
celebrity
vstelevision star
480 2.3

A famous person who many people know and is often an actor or sports player

is specific to people known for regular television appearances
celeb
vstelevision star
  • Slang
33 6.6

A famous person often from movies, music, or sports

is more neutral and refers to people known for regular television appearances
TV star
vstelevision star
26 1.5

A person who is famous for appearing on TV shows as an actor or presenter

is about being known for appearing regularly on television rather than other fame

How Famous

superstar
187 2.8
celebrity
480 2.3
television star
5 1.8
local
197 1.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

television + star

The meaning 'a famous person known for appearing on television' is directly and compositionally derived from 'television' (the broadcast medium) + 'star' (a celebrated public figure). This noun-noun combination follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern (e.g., 'estrella de la televisión', 'star de la télévision'), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The compound television star comes from the simple image of a bright star on the television screen: actors who appear often seem to 'shine' in people's homes. That's why the phrase means 'a famous actor or personality who appears regularly on television'.