Meaning & use
role
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
The function, duty, or position someone or something has in a situation or organization.
Grammar: Common with play and in: play a role in the decision.
Patterns
- play a role in something
- the role of something
- have a role to do
Trust plays a central role in any partnership.
The role of the board is to set long-term goals.
nouncountable
A character played by an actor or performer.
Grammar: Common with play: play the role of Hamlet.
Patterns
- play a role
- the role of someone
- a leading role
She won an award for a difficult role in a small film.
He auditioned for the role of the young doctor.
Word forms
| plural | roles |
|---|
Common combinations
- play a key role
- Nurses play a key role in patient recovery.
- leading role
- She has a leading role in the community theater production.
- role model
- A good teacher can be a role model without saying much.
- role reversal
- After the injury, the couple experienced a sudden role reversal.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- role-play verb
- To act out a situation or character, often for practice.
- role-play noun
- The activity of acting out roles.
Commonly confused: role or roll? role or goal?
role vs roll
Roll is a verb meaning turn over or a noun for bread/list; role means function or acted part.
role vs goal
Goal is an aim or score; role is the part someone fills.
Practice
Choose the correct preposition: “Teachers play an important role ______ children’s learning.”
Choose one answer.
The fixed pattern is play a role in something. On, at, and for do not fit this collocation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “role”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.