role model

American  

[rohl mod-l] / ˈroʊl ˌmɒd l /

noun

• role models
  plural

1. a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people.

---

role model British  

noun

1. a person regarded by others, esp younger people, as a good example to follow

---

role model Cultural  

1. A person who serves as an example of the values, attitudes, and behaviors associated with a role. For example, a father is a role model for his sons. Role models can also be persons who distinguish themselves in such a way that others admire and want to emulate them. For example, a woman who becomes a successful brain surgeon or airline pilot can be described as a role model for other women.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• role models
  plural

Etymology

Origin of role model

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

role model

"He's been a role model and poster boy for British boxing for years," Fury, 38, said of Joshua.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

“She’s a role model for taking your legacy seriously.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

Caetano Veloso — he’s served as a role model for me.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

“I was extremely happily retired, I will say. And I felt like I was a role model for retirement,” Schulman, now 68 years old, said at a Wall Street Journal event.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

My sister says the only reason Mom married him was to give me a male role model so I’d know how to grow up into a man, and so we wouldn’t be on welfare.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• example
• exemplar
• good example
• hero
• heroine
• idol
• mentor
• superstar