role

noun \ ˈrōl \

variants: or less commonly rôle

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Examples: role in a Sentence

Definition of role

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

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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 of role from the Web

The show will have a prominent role: Its Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che are hosting this year’s Emmys, and will likely bring several cast members along for the ride.

— john koblin, New York Times, "Emmy Nominations 2018: ‘Game of Thrones’ and Netflix Lead the Way," 13 July 2018
From his perch on the trading desk, Kennedy had an important role in the loan-approval process.

— salvador rizzo, Washington Post, "The thinly-sourced theories about Trump’s loans and Justice Kennedy’s son," 12 July 2018
Knight played a key role in developing Trump’s tax plan and shepherding it through Congress last year.

— Fortune, "Trump Picks Shahira Knight as New Legislative Director," 12 July 2018
Of course, longtime fans of the show will know that little pet is none other than Salem, who had a speaking role in the OG show.

— brianna wiest, Teen Vogue, "Kiernan Shipka Shares the First Poster for "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina"," 11 July 2018
Former Missouri athletic director Mike Alden, who served as a consultant for UMKC athletics in recent months, has a new role at the university.

— blair kerkhoff, kansascity, "Former Mizzou AD Mike Alden to advise UMKC athletics," 11 July 2018
Ukrainians, Poles and other Eastern Europeans worry that Western Europe could become less willing to protect them if Russia has a bigger role as an energy supplier.

— eli stokols, latimes.com, "Trump disrupts NATO summit with blasts at allies, especially Germany, and new defense spending demands," 11 July 2018
Murkowski is one of two key female GOP senators who will play a key role in Kavanaugh's path to confirmation.

— kathryn watson, CBS News, "These are the senators to watch during Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation process," 11 July 2018
Look, live sports is probably still going to have a role in people’s consumption habits moving forward.

— peter kafka, Recode, "Here’s what HBO’s new boss really said about the company’s plans under AT&T," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'role.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.