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Definition of 'role'

Word Frequency

role

(roʊl )

Word forms: plural roles

1. countable noun

If you have a role in a situation or in society, you have a particular position and function in it.

...the drug's role in preventing more serious effects of infection. [+ in]

...bitter disagreements about the role of the monarchy.

Both sides have roles to play.

[Also + of/as]

2. countable noun

A role is one of the characters that an actor or singer can play in a film, play, or opera.

She has just landed the lead role in The Young Vic's latest production.

Shakespearean women's roles were originally written to be played by men.

More Synonyms of role

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

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role

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Word Frequency

role in British English

or rôle (rəʊl )

noun

1.

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

2. psychology

the part played by a person in a particular social setting, influenced by his or her expectation of what is appropriate

3.

usual or customary function

what is her role in the organization?

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Word origin

C17: from French rôle roll, an actor's script

Word Frequency

role in American English

(roʊl )

noun

1.

a part, or character, that an actor plays in a performance

2.

a function or office assumed by someone

an advisory role

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Word origin

Fr rôle, lit., a roll: from roll containing actor's part

Word Frequency

role in American English

(roul)

noun

1.

a part or character played by an actor or actress

2.

proper or customary function

the teacher's role in society

3. Sociology

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

Also: rôle

Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Word origin

[1600–10; ‹ F rôle roll (as of paper) containing the actor's part]

Examples of 'role' in a sentence
role

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

We should confidently promote them and the role they play.His varied career is mainly defined by character roles.Yet it is his role as part of that attacking unit that is crucial.The issue of integration will play a huge role in that. Gender roles are definitely part of the problem. Rugby union is one gigantic chain with one man's role integral to another.It was a free role, but one which meant he would become the hardest working player in the team.And he will play the lead role again, though he doesn't know when.I was only meant to be on it for 15 minutes, and the role just grew and grew. Tourism has played a major role in helping countries affected by war.

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COBUILD Collocations
role

influential role

significant role

strengthen the role of

Trends of
role

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In other languages
role

British English: role /rəʊl/ NOUN

The role of someone or something in a situation is their job or position in it.

Parents need to be clear about their role in raising their children.

American English: role
Arabic: دَوْر
Brazilian Portuguese: função
Chinese: 角色
Croatian: uloga
Czech: úloha
Danish: rolle
Dutch: rol functie, toneel
European Spanish: papel rol
Finnish: rooli
French: rôle
German: Rolle Aufgabe
Greek: ρόλος
Italian: ruolo
Japanese: 役割
Korean: 역할
Norwegian: rolle
Polish: rola teatr
European Portuguese: função
Romanian: rol
Russian: роль
Latin American Spanish: papel
Swedish: roll
Thai: หน้าที่หรือบทบาท
Turkish: rol
Ukrainian: роль
Vietnamese: vai trò

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Nearby words of
role

Related terms of
role

Source

Definition of role from the Collins English Dictionary

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Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

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Score: 0 / 5

board or bored?

Which version is correct?

I got board with my job as a travel agent. I got bored with my job as a travel agent.

base or bass?

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For his birthday he got a base guitar. For his birthday he got a bass guitar.

cue or queue?

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queue

cue

She waited in the bus .

passed or past?

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past

passed

I dashed him and out of the door.

desert or dessert?

Which version is correct?

She had homemade ice cream for desert. She had homemade ice cream for dessert.

Your score:

Jan 06, 2021

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Scrabble score
for 'role':
4

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

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Score: 0 / 5

gorilla or guerilla?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

guerilla

gorilla

It was the beginning of a war.

beat or beet?

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beet

beat

They were surrounded by fields of .

boar or bore?

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boar

bore

Wild are numerous in the valleys.

flair or flare?

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flair

flare

I have a friend who has a for languages.

root or route?

Which version is correct?

We eventually got to the root of the problem. We eventually got to the route of the problem.

Your score:

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