role

noun

The expected behaviour of an individual in a society.

The function or position of something.

A character or part played by a performer or actor.

Designation that denotes an associated set of responsibilities, knowledge, skills, or privileges

(grammar) The function of a word in a phrase.

(object-oriented programming) In the Raku programming language, a code element akin to an interface, used for composition of classes without adding to their inheritance chain.

(historical) An ancient unit of quantity, 72 sheets of parchment.

Roots

rotulusrole- · Latin · roll (of paper on which an actor's part was written)

Synonyms for role

charactern partn functionn protagonistn actorn purposen jobn positionn

Synonyms & related words for role

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of role — including character, part, function, protagonist, actor, purpose. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to role

Explore words related to role — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include persona, miscast, plays, responsibilities, acting, duties, understudying, typecast. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for role

Common synonyms for role include character, part, function, protagonist, actor, purpose, job, position — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does role come from?

The word role breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root role, from Latin rotulus (“roll (of paper on which an actor's part was written)”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.