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Definition: Role |
RoleNoun1. The actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group: "the function of a teacher"; "the government must do its part"; "play its role". 2. An actor's portrayal of someone in a play; "she played the part of Desdemona". 3. What something is used for; "the function of an auger is to bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it?". 4. Normal or customary activity of a person in a particular social setting; "what is your role on the team?". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "role" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Information | A symbol used to modify the meaning of a descriptor in indexing, when the descriptor is capable of assuming different functions in different subject matter descriptions so that the function ascribed to it in a given context may be identified. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Note: This article is in the process of revision. The proposed new text is followed by the original article, portions of which will later be moved to other articles.
One’s gender role is made up of all of the things that one does to express one’s gender identity. It then becomes the set of signals by which others infer one’s gender identity. For instance, if one identifies oneself as a girl or woman, then one will ordinarily do the kind of things that will let other people know that one is a girl or woman. And if one identifies oneself as a boy or man then one will ordinarily do the kind of things that will let other people know that one is a boy or man. A man who wants to attract girlfriends would rarely if ever use his clothing, behavior, etc., to present himself in the guise of a woman. Similarly, a woman would ordinary be ill-advised to seek a man by presenting herself in the guise of a man. In most cases, when a man appears in the guise of a woman, or a woman appears in the guise of a man, then most people will agree that they are disguising themselves, that is, that they are engaged in deliberately deceptivel behavior. (Because many societies impose expectations on the behavior of the members of society, and the expectations are linked to the gender identities of those individuals, there are prescriptions regarding gender roles, i.e., expectations that men and women will hold different kinds of positions in society. Failure to comply with these expectations can produce a wide range of sanctions.) It should be noted that some societies are comparatively rigid in their expectations, and other societies are comparatively permissive. Some of the gender signals that form part of a gender role and indicate one's gender identity to others are quite obvious, and others are so subtle that they are transmitted and received out of ordinary conscious awareness.
Some elements of gender role are connected with body differences related to sex. For instance, women’s blouses make room for women’s breasts and do not have pockets that cover the nipples. Men’s shirts, essentially the same garment, are flatter and do have pockets over the nipples. Men frequently find it convenient to urinate while standing, but women rarely do. Women frequently nurse infants. Men have mammary glands but they only very rarely nurse infants because the special hormonal states that produce lactation usually follow only from pregnancy.
Another set of gender roles are related to body differences related to sex, but the body differences are things like height and muscular strength for which there is a substantial overlap of the abilities of men and women. Some women are stronger than some men. Some women are larger and/or taller than some men. But if you average the heights of all men and the heights of all women, they won’t be equal. If you are looking for the world champion weight lifter, it is unlikely that it will be a woman.
In many societies, there is a strong tendency to exaggerate gender role differences. Starting with the belief that men are generally stronger than women, people conclude, somehow, that men should be stronger than women, and that there is something inadequate about a man who is not very strong. Starting with the belief that women are generally more gentle and nurturing than men, people construct a socially supported ideal that says that women should be gentle and nurturing and should not be harsh or aggressive. Many societies jump from the observation that men are less likely to cry than are women to the practice of indoctrinating boys, virtually from birth, not to cry.
Some gender role differences are purely conventional. That is, they work the way laws about which side of the street to drive on work. As long as everyone in Great Britain drives on the left side of the road, and as long as everyone in the United States drives on the right side of the road, there will be no problem with head-on collisions. In most societies, men wear trousers and women wear skirts. But in a traditional Malay community it is an ordinary practice for men to wear sarongs. In the traditional society of Scotland, men wore kilts. As long as the cultural context matches the choice of clothing it would be unusual for any negative comment to arise in such cases.
Gender role differences that are purely conventional are easier to change than are those that have some link to the biology of individuals. One consequence of social unrest during the Vietnam War era in the United States, Great Britain, and many other countries, was that men began to let their hair grow to a length that was previously considered appropriate only to women. Somewhat later, in response to other social changes, many women began to cut their hair to lengths previously considered appropriate only to men. The practical consequences of these changes were not onerous.
It would, to the contrary, be rather more difficult to get men to give up trousers that have a zipper that facilitates urinating while standing. It would likewise be difficult to get women to wear tight-fitting fly fishermen’s vests made of nylon netting with a half-inch mesh. Such a garment, regardless of how stylish it might be considered one fine year, would be too uncomfortable for a woman to wear unless she first bound her breasts with some other fabric to protect them from rubbing against the harsh netting and pocket contents of the vest.
Biological factors sometimes have a strong impact on which occupations are judged by a society to be appropriate for men, and which are judged appropriate for women. There is no reason why a large woman could not successfully shoe horses or deliver freight shipments from railway stations to the recipients’ homes. However, there are not even very many men who have the strength and stamina to put shoes on an uncooperative Clydesdale draft horse. Societies seem to frequently jump from a valid observation to a false conclusion in cases such as these. A society may jump from the observation that only a very few women would be physically suited to shoe a heavy draft horse to the conclusion that no woman should be a farrier, of jump from the observation that only a few women would be physically suited to serve as a fireman to the conclusion that women should no be eligible to apply for those jobs.
In many other cases, the elements of convention or tradition seem to play a dominant role in deciding which occupations fit in with which gender roles. In the United States, physicians have traditionally been men, and the few people who defied that expectation received a special job description: “woman doctor.” Similarly, we have special terms like “male nurse,” “woman lawyer,” “lady barber,” etc. But in China and the former Soviet Union countries, medical doctors are predominantly women, and in Taiwan it is very common for all of the barbers in a barber shop to be women.
As long as a person’s external genitals are consistent with that person’s gender identity the gender role of a person is so much a matter of course in a stable society that people rarely even think of it unless for whatever reason an individual adopts a gender role that is inconsistent with his or her gender identity. When that kind of thing happens, it is most often done to deliberately provoke a sense of incongruity and a humorous reaction to the attempts of a person of one sex trying to pass himself or herself off as a member of another sex. People can find much entertainment in observing the exaggerations or the failures to get nuances of an unfamiliar gender role right.
It is not so entertaining, however, when the external genitalia of a person, that person’s gender identity, and/or that person’s gender role are not consistent. People naturally, but too easily, assume that if a person has a penis, scrotum, etc., then that person is chromosomally male (i.e., that person has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome), and that the person, in introspection, feels like a male. Mother nature is much more inventive than is our language and system of traditional concepts. The person may have a penis and scrotum, but may be a female (with XX chromosomal sexual identity) with normal female sexual organs internally. When that person reaches puberty, “his” breasts may enlarge to ordinary female proportions, and “he” may begin to menstruate, passing menstrual blood through “his” penis. In addition, this person may have always accepted a gender identity that is consistent with “his” external genitalia or with “her” internal genitalia.
Just as there are individuals whose external genitalia make them falsely appear to be male, there are also individuals whose external genitalia make them falsely appear to be females. There are individuals whose genitalia are intermediate in appearance between those of an ordinary male and those of an ordinary female. An examination of their chromosomal sex and/or other tests may be necessary to determine what these people really are. And there are even individuals who have both male and female sexual organs in the same body.
When we consider these more unusual products of Mother Nature’s inventiveness, the simple picture that we saw in which there was a high degree of consistency among external genitalia, gender identity, and gender role then dissolves into a kind of jigsaw puzzle that is difficult to put together correctly. The extra parts of this jigsaw puzzle fall into two closely related categories, atypical gender identities and atypical gender roles.
Language is a system of abstractions and frequently deals with idealized cases. The more sharply masculine gender roles are distinguished from feminine gender roles, the less likely it is that any individual human being will comply perfectly with the requirements of that gender role. And besides that fact, every individual in a society is likely to have his or her unique definition of the “proper masculine gender role” and the “proper feminine gender role.” Any individual, then, might well be expected to be in compliance with the gender role ideals held by some people and to fail to be in compliance with the gender role ideals held by some other people. When, for instance, a boy cries too readily for the tastes of some people, they will call the child a “sissy” to indicate that in their view he is not a very ideal boy. There are many such pejorative role-related terms .
Sociologists and sexologists use the term gender roles to name the behaviors and responsibilities prescribed for each gender by a society.
Cultural views of gender roles
Ideas of appropriate behavior according to gender vary between cultures, although some aspects are more widespread than others. For example, in most current and known historical cultures, martial combat has been seen as mostly (or only) appropriate for men, while child-rearing has been seen as mostly (or only) the domain of women.
Other aspects, however, may differ markedly with time and place. In pre-industrial Europe, for example, the practice of medicine (other than midwifery) was generally seen as a male prerogative. However, in Russia health care was more often seen as a feminine role. The results of these views can be seen in modern society, where European medicine is most often practiced by men, while the majority of Russian doctors are women.
Another nature versus nurture debate
Considerable debate exists as to whether gender roles are biologically mandated, in the sense of the behavioral traits arising primarily from the biology of sex; or culturally mandated, in the sense of behavioral traits arising from early socialization. As with many such debates, most researchers believe that both factors influence the development and propagation of gender roles. However, the relative influence of each, and the specifics of how that influence operates, are still hotly disputed.
Examples of western gender roles
In the early 20th century, western gender roles were based around the idea of heteronormativity, and as such they were comparatively fixed. People who transgressed gender roles, such as a woman with a high-powered job, frequently experienced disapproval and discrimination.
After the sexual revolution, gay liberation, and feminism movements of the mid to late 20th century (the 1960s in particular), new roles became available in Western societies, and gender roles became rather more flexible. Narrowly defined gender roles, such as those listed here, are generally recognised as stereotypes.
- A man, who enjoys sex, has a career, and has difficulty expressing his emotions.
- A woman, who wears cosmetics, and wants to get married, start a family and be a housewife.
- An effeminate man, a man who is more or less like a stereotypical woman.
- A girl, who wears skirts and dresses, plays with dolls, likes the colour pink, has long hair, and wants to wear make-up.
- A tomboy, a girl who behaves like a stereotypical boy.
- A boy, who wears rugged clothing, likes the colour blue, plays with toy soldiers, participates in competitive team sports, enjoys fighting, doesn't cry, and has short hair.
- A sissy, a boy who behaves like a stereotypical girl.
Other stereotypes:
See also: Gender and sexuality studies, Gender studies, Gender identity, girly girl, Sexual orientation, Feminism, Masculinism, Symbolic-interactionism, Patriarchy, Queer theory,Butch, Femme.
- Man
- Head and breadwinner of the family
- Responsible for contacts outward
- Strong, rational, sexually active
- Men as "hunters"
- Woman
- Dependent on and subject to a male commander (father, husband etc..)
- Responsible for the social connections within the family
- Weak, emotional and irrational, compensatorily, sexually passive or uninterested
External Links
Gender PACSource: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Gender role."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In sociology, a role or social role is a set of connected behaviours, as conceptualised by actors in a social situation. It is mostly defined as an expected behaviour in a given individual social status. The spelling rôle is also used.The term is used in two rather different but related senses. It is vital to both functionalist and interactionist understandings of society, but is of only peripheral relevance to conflict theory.
Role confusion is a situation where an individual has trouble determining which role he/she should play. For example, you, a college student, go to attend an convention of fun club and find your teacher there. Should you behave as a student or as an enthusiast who shares the same interest?
Role strain characterises a situation where fulfilling a certain role has a conflict with fulfilling another role. For example, you found your teacher made a mistake and should you report that? If you did, you might disgrace him and if you didn't, you might not fulfil your role as student. While role conflict takes place across different role sets, role strain happens within the same role set.
Role in functionalist and consensus theory
The functionalist approach, which is largely borrowed from anthropology, sees a "role" as the set of expectations that society places on an individual. By unspoken consensus, certain behaviours are deemed "appropriate" and others "inappropriate". For example, it is appropriate for a doctor to dress fairly conservatively, ask a series of personal questions about one's health, touch one in ways that would normally be forbidden, write prescriptions, and show more concern for the personal wellbeing of his clients than is expected of, say, an electrician or a shopkeeper.
Notice that "role" is what the doctor does (or, at least, is expected to do), while status is what the doctor is. In other words, "status" is the position an actor occupies, while "role" is the expected behaviour attached to that position. Roles are not limited to occupational status, of course, nor does the fact that one is cast in the role of "doctor" during working hours prevent one from taking other on other roles at other times: husband, golf club president, father, and so on.
Roles can be semi-permanent ("doctor", "mother", "child"), or transitory. A well-known example is the sick role as formulated by Talcott Parsons in the late 1940s. A person who is judged to be "sick" is exempted from his usual roles; is not held personally responsible for his incapacity; can only take on the sick role on condition that he wants to eventually get well and return to a "normal" role; and he must co-operate with his officially designated helpers (doctors and others).
Role conflict takes place when one is forced to take on two different and incompatible roles at the same time. Consider the example of a doctor who is himself a patient, or who must decide whether he should be present for his daughter's birthday party (in his role as "father") or attend an ailing patient (as "doctor"). (Also compare the psychological concept of cognitive dissonance.)
In the functionalist conception, role is one of the important ways in which individual activity is socially regulated: roles create regular patterns of behaviour and thus a measure of predictability, which not only allows individuals to function effectively because they know what to expect of others, but also makes it possible for the sociologist to make generalisations about society. Collectively, a group of of interlocking roles creates a social institution: the institution of law, for example, can be seen as the combination of many roles, including "police officer", "judge", "criminal", and "victim".
Roles, in this conception, are created by society as a whole, are relatively inflexible, are more-or-less universally agreed upon, and individuals simply take their designated roles on and attempt to fulfil them as best they can. Although it is recognised that different roles interact ("teacher" and "student"), and that roles are usually defined in relation to other roles ("doctor" and "patient", or "mother" and "child") , the functionalist approach has great difficulty in accounting for variability and flexibility of roles, and finds it difficult to account for the vast differences in the way that individuals conceive different roles. Taken to extremes, the functionalist approach results in "role" becoming a set of static, semi-global expectations laid down by a unified, amorphous society: as simply prescriptions for correct behaviour. The distinction between "role" and norm and culture thus becomes sterile.
Nevertheless, although the classic functionalist approach to "role" is no longer regarded as an especially useful tool in the modern sociologist's approach to understanding societies, it remains a fundamental concept which is still taught in most introductory courses and is still regarded as important, particularly so when considering relatively homogenous, united societies like the middle-class post-war USA that gave birth to it.
More broadly, "role" in this static, defined-by-the-whole-of-society sense, is a concept that has crossed over from academic discourse into popular use. It has become commonplace to speak of particular "roles" as if they were indeed fixed, agreed on by all, and uncontroversial: "the role of the teacher" or "a parent's role", for example. Notice that this everyday usage nearly always employs "role" in a normative way, to imply that "this is the proper behaviour" for a teacher or a parent, or even for an entire institution such as the government.
Role in interactionist or social action theory
In interactionist social theory, the concept of role is crucial. The interactionist definition of "role" pre-dates the functionalist one (which is a later borrowing from the same source), but is more fluid and subtle, and remains a more fruitful concept. Oddly enough for a concept which has been adopted by two of the three major branches of sociology and is central to a good deal of anthropology as well, the first systematic use of the term "role" was made by a philosopher, George Herbert Mead, in his seminal 1934 work, Mind, self and society.
A role, in this conception, is not fixed or prescribed but something that is constantly negotiated between individuals in a tentative, creative way. Mead's main interest was the way in which children learn how to become a part of society by imaginative role-taking. Children, wrote Mead, imitate the roles of the people around them and try them on to see how well they fit. This is always done in an interactive way: it's not meaningful to think of a role for one person alone, only for that person as an individual who is both co-operating and competing with others. Adults behave similarly: taking roles from those that they see around them, adapting them in creative ways, and (by the process of social interaction) testing them and either confirming them or modifying them. This can be most easily seen in encounters where there is considerable ambiguity, but is nevertheless something that is part of all social interactions: each individual actively tries to "define the situation" (understand her role within it); choose a role that is advantageous or appealing; play that role; and persuade others to support the role.
Role in anthropology
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See also: social status
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Role."
Synonyms: RoleSynonyms: character (n), function (n), office (n), part (n), persona (n), purpose (n), theatrical role (n), use (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Business | Part, role, cue; province, function, lookout, department, capacity, sphere, orb, field, line; walk, walk of life; beat, round, routine; race, career. |
Conduct | Course of conduct, line of conduct, line of action, line of proceeding; role; process, ways, practice, procedure, modus operandi, MO, method of operating; method; path. |
Plan | Role; policy; (line of conduct). |
Prototype | Verb: be an example, be a role model, set an example; set a copy. Phrase: a precedent embalms a principle; exempla sunt odiosa. |
The Drama | Part, role, character, dramatis personae; repertoire. |
Actor, thespian, player; method actor; stage player, strolling player; stager, performer; mime, mimer; artists; comedian, tragedian; tragedienne, Roscius; star, movie star, star of stage and screen, superstar, idol, sex symbol; supporting actor, supporting cast; ham, hamfatter; masker. pantomimist, clown harlequin, buffo, buffoon, farceur, grimacer, pantaloon, columbine; punchinello; pulcinello, pulcinella; extra, bit-player, walk-on role, cameo appearance; mute, figurante, general utility; super, supernumerary. | |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Role |
| English words defined with "role": gender role ♦ minor role ♦ role model ♦ title role. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "role": delimiter role ♦ Formal Object Role Modeling Language ♦ Object Role Modeling ♦ role indicator, role occupant, role playing. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Role" is also a word in the following language with English translations in parentheses. Czech (part, reel, role, roll). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | I need a father who's a role model, not some horny geek-boy who's gonna spray his shorts every time I bring a girlfriend home from school (American Beauty; writing credit: Alan Ball) Except for socially, you're my role model (Broadcast News; writing credit: James L. Brooks.) She is my personal role model (Vanilla Sky; writing credit: Alejandro Amenábar; Mateo Gil) Raziel, your role in this world's is more crucial and more benevolent than you've allowed yourself to believe (Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver II; writing credit: Amy Hennig) He's embiggened that role with that cromulent performance (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge) | |
Lyrics | Or play your role (Try Again; performing artist: Aaliyah) Wants the shy girl role, put my hand on his lef (Get Me Home; performing artist: FOXY) The role I was about to play (Alone Again (Naturally); performing artist: Gilbert O'Sullivan) Got A Role For Me (Will You Be There; performing artist: Michael Jackson) In human role revealed to him (Let there be more light; performing artist: Pink Floyd) | |
Clever | Adult Education Topic: Learning to live: Basic differences between your mother and your wife. Online class and role playing. (references; author: unknown) | |
Tongue Twisters | Collecting the corrections is the role of the elderly. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | A Ham in a Role (1949) Son dernier role (1945) Fatty's New Role (1915) An Actor in a New Role (1911) Role Models 3 (2002) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Pictured are two scientists conferring over a graph. They are in lab coats in an office setting. The new technology available to the scientists today plays an important role in providing them with needed detailed information. Credit: Linda Bartlett (photographer). |  | Slide shows researcher using electron spin resonance spectroscopy to examine the role of free radicals in promoting anticancer drug activity as well as in the development of drug resistance. Credit: Bill Branson (Photographer). |
 | Aedes mediovittatus is known to be a container breeder, and may play a role in the inter-epidemic transmission of Dengue Fever. Credit: CDC. |  | P. acnes is associated with the disease acne, an infection within the skin's oil producing glands, leading to the formation of pimples. Hormones play a crucial role in this process. Credit: CDC. |
 | Ernest Lester Jones Memorial Commemorating his role as Director of C&GS and a founder of the American Legion Plaque presented to C&GS for mounting on bridge of vessel E. LESTER JONES. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Commemorative plaque in honor of Colonel E. Lester Jones From George Washington Post No. 1 of the American Legion States Colonel Jones's role in founding the American Legion Plaque was placed on the C&GS Ship E. LESTER JONES in 1939. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | Deer pea is a common marsh plant that plays an important role in nitrogen cycling. Credit: America's Coastlines. |  | A member of the Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group cuts holes to place cable in the logs. US Forest Service and Skagit Fisheries Enhancement members cabled all the jams into place. Then, volunteers played an essential role in the restoration by performing pre and post monitoring of the site. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center. |
 | A sign constructed by the students thanks NOAA for its role in the construction of the fish pools. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center. |  | Green, red and brown algae vary seasonally and differ in role as fish food. Credit: National Undersea Research Program (NURP). |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Jan" by Loretta Humble Commentary: "This lady is 70, camps arcross the continent from deep Mexico to Alaska in an old van she outfitted with just basics. She is my new role model." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. |
| Author | Quotation |
Confucius | Do not worry about holding high position; worry rather about playing your proper role. |
Montaigne | The role of true victory is in fighting, not in coming off safely; and the honor of valor consists in combating, not in beating. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
John F. Kennedy | 1963 | In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. (reference) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Life, the Universe and Everything | Douglas Adams | Arthur had adopted his normal crisis role, which was to stand with his mouth hanging open and let it all wash over him. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Gender also plays a role in risk for stroke. (references) | |
Each vitamin and mineral plays a different role in health. (references) | ||
Understanding the role of DNA repair defects in melanocytes. (references) | ||
Business | Price tends to play a lesser role in the purchase. (references) | |
The forestry industry does not have a leading role in the economy. (references) | ||
Tradition rather than law has limited the political role of women. (references) | ||
Children | Nicaragua | Despite some efforts, the Government's past role in helping the disabled is minimal and often has been criticized. (references) |
Saudi Arabia | In general children play a minimal role in the workforce; however, there have been numerous reports that young boys of Saudi, Sudanese, and South Asian origin are used as jockeys in camel races. (references) | |
Civil Liberties | Central African Republic | Muslims play a preponderant role in the economy. (references) |
Discrimination | Cote d'Ivoire | The Constitution and the law prohibit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, or religion; however, in practice women occupy a subordinate role in society. (references) |
Indonesia | However, guidelines adopted in the past 20 years also state that women's participation in the development process must not conflict with their role in improving family welfare and the education of the younger generation. (references) | |
Economic History | Egypt | Egypt played a key role during the 1990-91 Gulf crisis. (references) |
Human Rights | Romania | The Ombudsman's role still is not fully clear to the public. (references) |
Uzbekistan | State prosecutors play a decisive role in the criminal justice system. (references) | |
Tunisia | The accused prisoner was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the beating. (references) | |
Indigenous People | Namibia | The law assigns to traditional leaders the role of guardians of culture and tradition. (references) |
Norway | Authorities charged three young persons with aiding and abetting voluntary manslaughter for their role in the killing; all three were linked to a neo-nazi organization. (references) | |
Suriname | Following demonstrations in July by veterans of the Jungle Commando, who played a large role in the insurgencies, their de facto leader Ronny Brunswijk met with the Minister of Regional Development. (references) | |
Minorities | Brazil | Education plays a significant role in perpetuating these disparities. (references) |
Nigeria | The Senate used its oversight role to reject many of Obasanjo's ambassadorial appointments and insisted on three nominees from each state for each appointment. (references) | |
Ethiopia | Although many of these groups influenced the political and cultural life of the country, Amharas and Tigrayans from the northern highlands played a dominant role. (references) | |
Political Economy | Brazil | It plays little role in routine law enforcement. (references) |
Bahrain | It did not play a role in internal security during the year. (references) | |
ITALY | Privatization is reducing the government's role in the economy. (references) | |
Political Rights | Monaco | The Prince plays an active role in Government. (references) |
Guinea | Women also play a minor role in the leadership of the major political parties. (references) | |
Seychelles | Ramkalawan has played effectively the role of chief government critic as leader of the opposition. (references) | |
Trade | Pakistan | The Bank has also assumed a new role as a catalyst for development. (references) |
Switzerland | These groups will continue to play an important role in formulating import policy. (references) | |
France | Labeling in France serves an increasingly informational and even promotional role. (references) | |
Travel | Austria | Correspondence and visits play a significant role in doing business in Austria. (references) |
Ireland | These airports play an important role in meeting the tourism and transport needs of the regions. (references) | |
Sri Lanka | Courtesy is highly valued in Sri Lanka, and personal graciousness plays a major role in clinching deals. (references) | |
Women | Comoros | Men have the dominant role in society. (references) |
Swaziland | Women occupy a subordinate role in society. (references) | |
Armenia | Men often play a dominant role in many societal institutions. (references) | |
Worker Rights | Suriname | Unions are independent of the Government but play an active role in politics. (references) |
Paraguay | Union organizers sometimes are jailed for their role in leading demonstrations. (references) | |
Uzbekistan | It is not clear whether trade unions played a role in the organization of these strikes. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Anthony Quinn | Yeah, yeah. And I had known Peter O'Toole before in London. And I'd liked him very much. And the thought of being in a picture with him was very challenging to me. And he was playing the starring role. |
Bob Graham | Well, it had some of the qualities of a pep rally. As Senator Lugar said, it was a means by which the president could thank the many, many Americans who have played a role in reuniting this country during this time of crisis. |
John Hartmann | Look, David, I know you're counting on me to play a key role in your hollow charade, but I'm afraid it's a lost cause. |
King Hussein of Jordan | My role in this process is to ensure that what we have achieved so far will be a model, a good example to others. It will be a cornerstone for peace, a comprehensive peace, which all of us search and seek between the Arab world and Israel. |
Nicole Kidman | I know. Because it was right for the character. It was right for, I mean Stephen Daldry didn't say to me, well I want you to do this role and you've got to wear a prosthetic nose, I mean. |
Prince Albert of Monaco | Yeah. And I think it's a normal role for anyone in an position of leadership. I've assumed that role with great interest and I think it's a normal part of our activity. |
Rush Limbaugh | Public affairs director Mindy Tucker's role in the AP subpoena came about because of a department policy that spells out the process for handling proposed subpoenas for news reporters. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Harry S. Truman | 1945-1953 | State and local governments also have an essential role to play in a national public works program. |
John F. Kennedy | 1961-1963 | Government aid can only supplement the role of private investment, trade expansion, commodity stabilization, and, above all, internal self-improvement. |
Richard Nixon | 1969-1974 | Your National Government has a great and vital role to play. |
Gerald Ford | 1974-1977 | I express the hope that this new Congress will reexamine its constitutional role in international affairs. |
Jimmy Carter | 1977-1981 | Private industry will, of course, play a major role in developing the United States' coal export facilities. |
Ronald Reagan | 1981-1989 | Every American has a role and a stake in international trade. |
Bill Clinton | 1993-2001 | A China playing its proper role in the world is. |
George W. Bush | 2001-2005 | In a single instant, we realized that this will be a decisive decade in the history of liberty, that we've been called to a unique role in human events. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Role" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 99.97% of the time. "Role" is used about 18,196 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 99.97% | 18,191 | 509 |
| Noun (common) | 0.03% | 5 | 157,705 |
| Total | 100.00% | 18,196 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "role": brilliant role ♦ debate on the role of sexes ♦ delimiter role ♦ formal Object Role Modeling Language ♦ fundamental role ♦ gender role ♦ guest role ♦ leading role ♦ minor role ♦ object Role Modeling ♦ Physician's Role ♦ play a liaison role ♦ play a role ♦ play an active role ♦ play the role of ♦ role allocation ♦ role bonding ♦ role indicator ♦ role model ♦ role number ♦ role occupant ♦ role play ♦ role player ♦ role playing ♦ role reversal ♦ Sick Role ♦ social role ♦ star role ♦ starring role ♦ supporting role ♦ theatrical role ♦ title role. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "role": role-appropriate, role-asymmetry, role-bearer, role-bearers, role-behaviour, role-breaking, role-change, role-described, role-description, role-deviance, role-filler, role-fulfilment, role-going, role-holder, role-holders, role-identification, role-mapping, role-mappings, role-model, role-models, role-oriented, role-performance, role-play, role-played, role-player, role-playing, role-plays, role-position, role-related, role-relationships, role-reversal, role-reversals, role-segregation, role-set, role-sharing, role-slot, role-slots, role-specific, role-strain, role-strain', role-strengths, role-supporting, role-taking, role-there, role-to-name, role-to-role, role-training. | |
Ending with "role": multi-role, participant-role, sex-role, teacher-in-role, title-role. | |
Containing "role": sex-role-appropriate, sex-role-reversed. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "role"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | rol (part, rôle, rфle). (various references) | |
Albanian | rol (part), funksion (appointment, assignment, duty, function, running, work). (various references) | |
Arabic | دور (period, round, turn), وظيفة (berth, billet, capacity, frame, function, job, khanate, metier, office, place, position, service), عارضة (beam, crossing, keel, ledger, plinth, sitter, spar, template, tie, transom), دور (age, circle, cycle, floor, function, part, place, refrain, round, say, storey, turn). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | роля (character, cue, part). (various references) | |
Chinese | 角色 . (various references) | |
Czech | role (part, reel, roll), úloha (exercise, part, problem, task). (various references) | |
Danish | rolle (part). (various references) | |
Dutch | rol (account book, character, cylinder, drum, list, part, record, register, roll, roller). (various references) | |
Esperanto | rolo (part). (various references) | |
Farsi | نقش(بازی درتاثر), وظیفه (Assignment, Duty, Function, Incumbency, Obligation, Office, Service, Task, Taskwork, Work), طومار (Roll, Scroll), رل , بخش (Borough, Branch, Canton, Commune, County, Department, District, Division, Installment, Item, Leg, Lot, Member, Parcel, Parish, Part, Party, Piece, Portion, Precinct, Quarter, Sect, Section, Sector, Segment, Share, Zone). (various references) | |
Finnish | rooli-indikaattori (role indicator), rooli (part, rōle), osa (component, destiny, fate, fortune, lot, luck, part, piece, portion, proportion, rōle, share, volume). (various references) | |
French | rôle (role indicator). (various references) | |
German | Rolle (bobbin, caster, Castor, coil, Crake, part, pulley, rôle, reel, roll, roller, runner, scroll, skid), Funktion (derivative, function, functioning, funktion, office, position, waveform). (various references) | |
Greek | ρόλος (coil, cylinder, role indicator, roller). (various references) | |
Hebrew | תפקיד (assignment, charge, command, duty, function, mission, order, part, place, stint, task). (various references) | |
Hungarian | szerep (cue, function, lines, part), kötelesség (charge, devoir, duty, function, incumbency, obligation, ought), teendő (business), feladat (assignment, challenge, commitment, duty, function, job, lesson, mission, objective, project, proposition, scheme, target, task). (various references) | |
Indonesian | peranan, peran. (various references) | |
Italian | ruolo (character, part, roll, roller). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 役柄 , 役割り (assigningparts, duties, part), 役割 (assigningparts, duties, part), 役回り (duty, part), 役儀 (duty, responsibility), 役 (battle, campaign, position, service, use, war). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | やくぎ (duty, responsibility), やくがら, やくまわり (duty, part), やくわり (assigningparts, duties, part), やく (about, advantage, approximately, bad luck, being beneficial, benefit, disaster, evil, gain, misfortune, position, profit, service, some, to bake, to be envious of, to be jealous of, to grill, use). (various references) | |
Korean | 역할. (various references) | |
Manx | paart (moiety, part, sharing, some). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | oleray.(various references) | |
Portuguese | papel (function, paper, part). (various references) | |
Romanian | rost (hang, household, joint, parting, sense), rol (character, concern, list, part, rental), funcţie (appointment, character, destination, function, job, office, position, post, service), contribuţie (contribution, duty, levy, making, rate, share, shot, tax). (various references) | |
Russian | роль (part). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | rola, uloga (function, part, personage). (various references) | |
Spanish | rol (roll, ship's articles). (various references) | |
Swedish | roll (character, lines, part, personage, rôle). (various references) | |
Thai | บทบาท (hat), บทละคร (drama). (various references) | |
Turkish | rol yapmak (act, feign, playact), rol (act, part). (various references) | |
Turkmen | rol (r) (part). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | роль (part). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | vai trò (part), vai. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | pars, parsque, parte, partem, partemque, partes, parti, partibus, partis, partium, partum. (various references) |
| French | 1500-Modern | rle. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "role": roles. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "role": amitrole, banderole, barcarole, casserole, escarole, fumarole, parole, profiterole, prole, pyrrole, rigamarole, rigmarole, safrole, tetrapyrrole. (additional references) | |
Words containing "role": acrolect, acrolects, acrolein, acroleins, amitroles, banderoles, barcaroles, caroled, caroler, carolers, casseroles, electroless, escaroles, fumaroles, hypercholesterolemia, hypercholesterolemias, hypercholesterolemic, lumpenproletariat, lumpenproletariats, macrolepidoptera, microlepidoptera, microlepidopterous, neuroleptic, neuroleptics, nonpetroleum, nonpetroleums, paroled, parolee, parolees, paroles, petroleum, petroleums, profiteroles, proleg, prolegomena, prolegomenon, prolegomenous, prolegs, prolepses, prolepsis, proleptic, proleptically, proles, proletarian, proletarianise, proletarianised, proletarianises, proletarianising, proletarianization, proletarianizations, proletarianize. (additional references) | |
| |
"Role" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: arole, Eole, Frohlen, frole, grole, orli, orly, rala, ralee, ralye, rele, relle, relq, Reole, rhoplex, rilke, rilo, rilu, riola, riole, rioli, Riolo, rle, rli, rlo, roal, Roble, rocler, roel, roeler, rogle, rohe, Rohlen, roje, roke, rol, rola, rolay, roled, rolee, roleo, roler, rolex, roli, rolk, rolle, Rollei, rollen, Rolley, rollo, rolo, rolp, rols, rolse, rolt, roly, Romley, ronler, rooe, rooke, rool, roole, rooze, roqe, rore, rorl, Rosla, rosle, rosli, rotle, Roule, Roulez, Rowlen, roxe, royle, rucle, ruel, Ruelle, rugle, rulea, rulem, rulie, rulz, ryle, trole, Urola, wrole, yole, zole. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "role" (pronounced rō"l) |
| 3 | r ō" l | control, decontrol, droll, enroll, stroll, patrol, roll, scroll, troll. |
| 2 | -ō" l | bole, Boll, bowl, cajole, coal, Cole, dhole, dole, espanol, extol, foal, goal, hole, sole, soul, stole, knoll, Kohl, mole, ole, parole, pistole, pole, poll, skoal, thole, tole, toll, whole. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: lore, orle. | |
| Words within the letters "e-l-o-r" | |
-1 letter: ole, ore, roe. | |
-2 letters: el, er, lo, oe, or, re. | |
| Words containing the letters "e-l-o-r" | |
+1 letter: ceorl, enrol, loner, loper, lores, loser, lover, lower, morel, nerol, ogler, oiler, older, oriel, orles, poler, prole, reoil, roble, roles, rowel, sorel. | |
+2 letters: areola, areole, blower, boiler, bolder, bolero, bolter, bordel, boreal, bowler, ceorls, choler, cloner, closer, clover, coaler, coiler, colder, colter, colure, cooler, corbel, cormel, cornel, creole, cresol, dorsel, eloper, enroll, enrols, flexor, florae, floret, flower, folder, fouler, fowler, galore, gaoler, glover, glower, golder, golfer, grovel, holder, holier, holler, howler, jolter, lector, lessor, loader, loafer, loaner, lobber, locker, lodger, lofter, logger, logier, loiter, loller, loners, longer, looker, looper, looser, looter, lopers, lopper, lorded, loreal, lories, losers, louder, loured, louver, louvre, lovers, lowers, lowery, merlon, merlot, moiler, molder, molter, morale, morels, morsel, neroli, nerols, nobler, oglers, oilers, oilier, oracle, ordeal, oriels, oriole, ostler, overly, parole, petrol, plexor, plover, plower, polder, polers, poller, proleg, proles, propel, reboil, recoal, recoil, reflow, refold, reglow, reload, reloan, relock, relook, remold, reoils, replot, repoll, reroll, resold, resole, retold, retool, revolt, robles, roiled, rolfed, rolfer, rolled, roller, rondel, ronnel, rouble, rowels, sloper, slower, solder, solver, sorels, sorely, sorrel, splore, sterol, toiler, toller, tooler, trowel, velour, volery, weldor, wolfer, wolver, wooler, yodler, yowler. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Familiar 10. Quotations: Historic 11. Quotations: Fiction 12. Quotations: Non-fiction | 13. Quotations: Spoken 14. Quotations: Speeches 15. Usage Frequency 16. Expressions | 17. Expressions: Internet 18. Translations: Modern 19. Translations: Ancient 20. Derivations | 21. Rhymes 22. Anagrams 23. Bibliography |
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