Meaning & use
play an important role
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
to be a very important part of something or have a strong influence on it
Grammar: The phrase usually comes after a noun that names the person or thing: 'Teachers play an important role in...' It is not used in the passive.
Patterns
- someone/something plays an important role in something
- something plays an important role in doing something
Parents play an important role in shaping their children's attitudes to school.
Social media played an important role in spreading the news quickly.
The nurse played an important role in helping the patient recover.
Common combinations
- play an important role in
- Scientists play an important role in finding solutions to climate change.
- play a key role
- She played a key role in organizing the festival.
- play a major role
- The company played a major role in the local economy.
- play an important part
- Luck played an important part in their success.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be central to
- Stronger and more formal; it means something is the most important part, not just an important one.
- contribute to
- Focuses on adding to a result rather than being a key part of it; it often takes an -ing form.
- have a hand in
- Informal and suggests some involvement, but not necessarily an important one.
Word family
- role noun
- the function or part someone or something has in a situation
Commonly confused: play an important role or play a role?
play an important role vs play a role
This is the general phrase; 'play an important role' just adds the idea of importance. Without 'important', the role could be minor.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
The phrase is followed by 'in' + noun or -ing: 'play an important role in reducing poverty'. The other prepositions ('for', 'to', 'on') do not fit this fixed pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “play an important role”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.