Definition of 'role'
Word forms: roles
1. countable noun
2. countable noun
A role is one of the characters that an actor or singer can play in a movie, play, or opera.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
role
Word Frequency
role in American English
noun
1.
a part, or character, that an actor plays in a performance
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
Also: rôle1.
a part or character played by an actor or actress
3. Sociology
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]Word Frequency
role in British English
noun
2. psychology
the part played by a person in a particular social setting, influenced by his or her expectation of what is appropriate
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C17: from French rôle roll, an actor's script
Examples of 'role' in a sentence
role
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
Trends of
role
View usage over:
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 /ˈroʊl/
- 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
- Spanish: papel
- Swedish: roll
- Thai: บทบาทหน้าที่
- Turkish: rol
- Ukrainian: роль
- Vietnamese: vai trò
Browse alphabetically
role
Source
Definition of role from the Collins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
happy or pleased?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
happy
pleased
as Larry
apple or plum?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
apple
plum
the of your eye
guts or socks?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
socks
guts
work your off
stomach or throat?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
throat
stomach
have a frog in your
red or white?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
white
red
a elephant
Your score:
Word of the day
aubade
a song or poem appropriate to or greeting the dawn
Latest Word Submissions
bug-out bag
Nov 14, 2021
Keeling Curve
Nov 14, 2021
flip phone
Nov 13, 2021
noncomprehensive
Nov 13, 2021
Bonfire or Guy Fawkes Night
On the night of 4 November 1605 Guy Fawkes, a Catholic, was discovered in an undercroft of the House of Lords guarding a hoard of gunpowder intended to explode the following day at the state opening of Parliament and thereby assassinate the Protestant King James I and annihilate the government.
Read more
Study guides for every stage of your learning journey
Whether you're in search of a crossword puzzle, a detailed guide to tying knots, or tips on writing the perfect college essay, Harper Reference has you covered for all your study needs.
Read more
Trick or treat? The eerie etymology behind popular Halloween words
Spooky season has arrived once more! Pumpkins are out in full force and this year, we decided to revisit some of our gruesome lexical offerings with a brand-new look into some of the most popular words and phrases associated with the scariest time of year.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Updating our Usage
There are many diverse influences on the way that English is used across the world today. We look at some of the ways in which the language is changing. Read our series of blogs to find out more.
Read more
Area 51, Starship, and Harvest Moon: September’s Words in the News
I’m sure a lot of people would agree that we live in strange times. But do they have to be so strange that Area 51 is making headlines? And what’s this about fish the look like aliens. September’s Words in the News explain all.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
who's or whose?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
whose
who's
I saw a man shouting at a driver car was blocking the street.
did or done?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
done
did
Once we've that we will start again.
loot or lute?
Which version is correct?
saw or seen?
Which version is correct?
gamble or gambol?
Which version is correct?
Your score: