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# role

«role» in Mova's school dictionary: **a part that an actor plays in a film, play or show** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a role, roles)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A role is a part that an actor plays in a film, play or show. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#m1)

2) A role is a job, position or purpose someone or something has, like the role of a captain. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#m2)

3) A role is how important something is in a situation, as in "play a big role". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In drama, pupils get roles in the school play and do role play to act out situations; in safety lessons, role play helps practise saying no. In science, things have roles (the role of the heart is to pump blood). In everyday life a role model is someone you look up to. Phrases: "play a role", "the lead role", "role play", "role model", "take on a role", "role reversal".

### examples

- I got the role of the wolf in the school play. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#x1)
- What is the role of the heart in the body? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#x2)
- My big sister is my role model. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#x3)
- In role play, we practised what to do if a stranger asks us to go with them. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#x4)
- Exercise plays an important role in staying healthy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#x5)
- Her role in the team is goalkeeper. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#x6)
- Mum took on the role of class rep this year. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/#x7)

### note

Countable: a role, roles. Homophone: roll (a bread roll, or to turn over and over). "Role" for a part; "roll" for movement or bread. Some old texts spell it "rôle".

### In the corpora

- [Most actors are not famous; many do small roles, adverts and voice work, and face many auditions and rejections.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/39-art-as-a-job-who-makes-art-money-fame-and-hard-work/16/)
- [Cousins who grow up close can be as close as siblings, or a role model you look up to.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/510-cousins-like-a-sister-posh-or-far-away/3/)
- [An older cousin can be a role model, like a big brother or sister.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/510-cousins-like-a-sister-posh-or-far-away/27/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «role» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/role/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.