cosplay

Cosplay is dressing up as a character from a comic, anime, game, movie or show, often with a homemade costume, props and makeup. People who do it are cosplayers.

What cosplay means

Merriam-Webster defines cosplay as the activity of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction, such as a comic book, video game or TV show. It’s both a noun (“her cosplay won the contest”) and a verb (“he’s cosplaying as a Jedi”). Wikipedia describes it as a performance art and a subculture, centered on fan conventions, competitions and online communities.

The word has a second, slangier use too. Wikipedia notes it’s often used, especially in politics, for someone pretending to play a role insincerely: “cosplaying as a cowboy,” “working-class cosplay.”

Examples

• “She spent three months building her armor for the convention cosplay contest.”
• “He’s cosplaying as a rich guy in a rented sports car.”
• “Can we do a group cosplay of the whole cast?”

Where it came from

It’s a blend of costume and play, borrowed from Japanese kosupure. Merriam-Webster says the Japanese word was reportedly introduced in print by publisher Nobuyuki Takahashi in 1983. The practice is older: Wikipedia traces it to fan costuming at science fiction conventions, beginning with the first World Science Fiction Convention in New York in 1939.

Related terms

• Otaku: an obsessive fan.
• Weeb: an anime-obsessed fan.
• Lolita fashion: Japanese Victorian-inspired style.
• Canon: the official story.

See more terms like this in our anime slang guide.