Skip to main content
role player

role player

2 3.9
A person who plays a fictional character in a game with others for fun
  • noun
  • /roʊl ˈpleɪər/
  • Jargon
translation icon : jugador de rol
  • At the gaming convention, each role player brought their own unique character to the storytelling session.
  • solid role players
  • a lot of role players
  • two role players

Examples

  • Why don't they just sign Phil Jackson, who doesn't need a bunch of dramatic superstars to win a championship but will rely on role players who are willing to do their job?

    Blog text (5)
  • Kobe asked for just one thing, role players, and when he got Pau (All-Star Pau), he immediately went to the finals for 3 straight years.

    Blog text (22)
  • Because of this, role players become more important than ever.

    Blog text (20)
  • Mind you, before we could get to voting, it was important that we decide early on what we meant by role player.

    Blog text (20)
  • Having specialists as role players can lead to success, but only if a team's best players are versatile.

    Blog text (20)
  • But if they are willing to give away Bosh and some role players, anything is possible.

    Blog text (22)
  • You had the superstar, maybe another star, and the rest of the guys were role players.

    Blog text (34)
  • Aaron: I think a role player's role is also about what kind of impact he had on the Lakers' success.

    Blog text (20)
  • Most championships were the result of one of two role players stepping up big and shifting the balance of power in the Finals.

    Blog text (20)
  • Like with every other move they've made this off-season, Millwood's a nice role player at a good price.

    Blog text (34)

Synonyms

player
vsrole player
331 1.0

A person who is important and active in a particular area

is specific to adopting fictional characters in collaborative entertainment games
gamer
vsrole player
4 3.5

A person who regularly plays board or card games

focuses on adopting a fictional character in collaborative story games

Antonyms

123 2.6

A person who watches an event or show without taking part

7.4

A person who repeats the same words or actions without thinking

How Committed

veteran
153 4.1
role player
  • Jargon
2 3.9
player
1.0
observer
305 2.8

Surface Forms

role player singular
role players plural

Morphology

role + player

The sense 'a person who plays a role' is directly and compositionally derived from 'role' (the part an actor plays) + 'player' (a performer). This straightforward noun+noun compound follows common English word-formation patterns and remains predictable even when applied to gaming contexts, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it.

Etymology

The noun role player comes from people who 'play' a role in a game or story; the player pretends to be a character and acts or speaks as that person. So a role player today means 'someone who plays a pretend character' in tabletop or online games.