1. also rôle A character or part played by a performer.
2. The characteristic and expected social behavior of an individual.
3. A function or position. See synonyms at function.
4. Linguistics. The function of a word or construction, as in a sentence.

[French rôle, from Old French rolle, roll of parchment (on which an actor's part was written), from Latin rotula, diminutive of rota, wheel. See roll.]

WORD HISTORY   We all play many roles in life, such as parent or teacher, and it is not difficult to see how this sense of the word role is related to its meaning in the theater. Role, which is first recorded in English in 1606, came to us from French already having the sense "a part one has to play." The word rôle in its earlier history (Old French rolle) had meant "a roll, as of parchment," particularly with reference to a manuscript roll. The word could also mean "a legal document" or "a list or register." From such uses it also came to refer to the text from which an actor learned a part. This use brought the word into the world of the theater where it has played an important role ever since. The theatrical meaning was then generalized to include parts played off the stage.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.