variants
or less commonly rôle
1
a(1)
: a character assigned or assumed
had to take on the role of both father and mother
(2)
: a socially expected behavior pattern usually determined by an individual's status in a particular society
b
: a part played by an actor or singer
2
: a function or part performed especially in a particular operation or process
played a major role in the negotiations
Synonyms
Examples of role in a Sentence
He plays the role of the villain.
She was given the starring role.
I had a minor role in the play.
After her husband left her, she had to take on the dual role of mother and father for her children.
She likes to play the role of matchmaker with her friends.
She challenged the traditional roles assigned to women.
We'll switch roles this time, and you can wash the dishes while I dry them.
It was a case of role reversal: the father stayed home with the children while the mother worked.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kelly O’Donnell and Gabe Gutierrez will continue their roles as senior White House correspondents, and Monica Alba and Aaron Gilchrist will remain White House correspondents.
—
Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025
Because banks and insurance companies have significant asset and liability mismatches due to their role as financial intermediaries, any climate change stress can quickly hurt their earnings and even their liquidity.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
In Home Alone and its sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Culkin had a minor role as Fuller McCallister, the younger cousin of main character Kevin, who was played by his real-life brother Macaulay Culkin.
—Brian Anthony Hernandez, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
What To Know Robert Half analyzed jobs created in the third quarter of last year in the U.S. and found that 35 percent of new job postings were for remote or hybrid roles, up from 30 percent during the same time the year before.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for role 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025
Because banks and insurance companies have significant asset and liability mismatches due to their role as financial intermediaries, any climate change stress can quickly hurt their earnings and even their liquidity.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
In Home Alone and its sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Culkin had a minor role as Fuller McCallister, the younger cousin of main character Kevin, who was played by his real-life brother Macaulay Culkin.
—Brian Anthony Hernandez, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
What To Know Robert Half analyzed jobs created in the third quarter of last year in the U.S. and found that 35 percent of new job postings were for remote or hybrid roles, up from 30 percent during the same time the year before.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for role
Dictionary Entries Near role
Cite this Entry
“Role.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/role. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
role
noun
variants
also rôle
1
a
: a character assigned or taken on
b
: a socially expected behavior pattern usually determined by an individual's status in a particular society
c
: a part played by an actor or singer
a starring role
2
: function entry 1 sense 2a
the role of enzymes in digestion
Etymology
from French rôle "part played by an actor," literally "scroll"; so called because before the use of books, the actor's parts were written on scrolls
Medical Definition
role
noun
variants
also rôle
: a socially prescribed pattern of behavior usually determined by an individual's status in a particular society
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share