role

American  

[rohl] / roʊl /

Rarely rôle

noun

• roles
  plural

1. a part or character played by an actor or actress.

2. proper or customary function.

   the role of religion in society.

   Synonyms:

   duty, responsibility, position, function, capacity, part, character

3. the function assumed by a person or thing in a given action or process.

   Schools offer few practical tools to help students explore their role in shaping the future.

4. Sociology. the rights, obligations, and expected behavior patterns associated with a particular social status.

   When studying child development, it was critical to study the father's role.

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role British  

/ rəʊl /

noun

1. a part or character in a play, film, etc, to be played by an actor or actress

2. psychol the part played by a person in a particular social setting, influenced by his expectation of what is appropriate

3. usual or customary function

   what is his role in the organization?

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• multirole
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• roles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of role

First recorded in 1600–10; from French rôle “roll (of paper containing the actor's part)”; see roll

Explanation

A role is a part you play. In school, you might take on the role of clown, in your family, the role of the responsible one, on stage, the role of Juliet. Role can also mean job or function. It is the role of the police to keep the community safe, and political parties often argue about the role government should play in our lives. Roles can also be played by things. You can say that computers play an increasing role in our day-to-day lives and that the role of a hat is to keep your head warm. You look up to your role model because of the important role that they play in influencing others' lives.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

role roles

He assumes his new role at a difficult time, as the royal family has faced health challenges and scandals this year.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Why he does not have the role of commissioner is something I have often thought about over the years, but then I would miss reading his columns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

Increasing their salaries would help fill the 1,600 vacancies the city currently has for the role and lower education costs in the long run.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

In 1998, he left his vice president role at Compaq Computer — the world’s largest PC maker at the time — to join a nearly bankrupt Apple.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

Two years later, as the Parks Canada team continued its search for the second missing vessel, another Inuit person would play a key role in a second great discovery.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

A senior Conservative politician, Sir James has held a number of ministerial positions under three prime ministers - including roles as home secretary and education secretary.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

“You just have to have an automatic filter,” says Shannon Leiro, who is part of the wave of millennials moving into leadership roles with evolving standards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Many of the roles were in software engineering and machine learning, according to the filings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

This structure allows the material to switch between two roles.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Both Adams and Jefferson knew their roles by heart, especially in its Ciceronian version as a pair of retired patriarchs now beyond ambition and above controversy.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• act
• appearance
• aspect
• character
• part
• performance
• portrayal