role
Americannoun
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a part or character played by an actor or actress.
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proper or customary function.
the role of religion in society.
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the function assumed by a person or thing in a given action or process.
Schools offer few practical tools to help students explore their role in shaping the future.
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Sociology. the rights, obligations, and expected behavior patterns associated with a particular social status.
When studying child development, it was critical to study the father's role.
noun
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a part or character in a play, film, etc, to be played by an actor or actress
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psychol the part played by a person in a particular social setting, influenced by his expectation of what is appropriate
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usual or customary function
what is his role in the organization?
Other Word Forms
- multirole adjective
Etymology
Origin of role
First recorded in 1600–10; from French rôle “roll (of paper containing the actor's part)”; roll
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They act as messengers, telling our cells what to do, and play vital roles in our skin health, immune system and helping to control our hormones.
From BBC
Attwood says she has been concerned by the tradwife trend - where women promote what has been described as 1950s gender roles, with lives centred around their husbands and serving them.
From BBC
Yes, there may be a bumpy transition and many roles will change, but businesses and the broader economy will emerge more prosperous, creating a raft of new jobs, the narrative goes.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain played no role in the U.S.-Israeli strikes, but confirmed British aircraft were conducting defensive operations in the region to protect British interests and allies.
From Barron's
Today, nearly all sponges have mineralized spicules, which might suggest that skeletons played a key role in their early success.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
