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Glite Dictionary
to play a vital role

to play a vital role

5 3.3
To have an important effect on how something happens
  • idiom
translation icon : jugar un papel vital
  • Education plays a vital role in shaping a person's future opportunities and choices.
  • play a vital role in shaping
  • play a vital role in helping
  • play a vital role in the development

As such, art can and has played a vital role in the construction of citizenship, justice, democracy.

Examples

  • Physical activity plays a vital role in the healthy functioning of the human body.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Engineers have played a vital role in human civilization since the beginning of our existence.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The power sector plays a vital role in ensuring the state's economic health.

    Academic text (2001)

  • These fuel tanks played a vital role in control of the plane too.

  • Three: It will play a vital role in maintaining world peace.

    Deader Country (2009)

  • As such, art can and has played a vital role in the construction of citizenship, justice, democracy.

    Stanford

  • Reading focuses on strategic reading skills that play a vital role in all academic areas and in life.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Septic systems play a vital role in the protection of public health and the environment.

    Academic text (2002)

  • WTO membership will play a vital role in developing the rule of law in China.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Teachers, too, play a vital role in creating inclusive classrooms for minority-language students.

    Academic text (2015)

Antonyms

unimportant
54 1.9

Not worth attention or notice

minor role
3 3.5

A small, less important part in a play, film, or TV show

How Important

to play a vital role
5 3.3

Surface Forms

play a vital role infinitive
played a vital role past
played a vital role past participle
playing a vital role present participle
plays a vital role third person singular

Morphology

play + a + vital + role

The meaning is directly compositional: 'play' (to have an effect or take part) plus 'role' (function or part) combined with 'vital' (essential) yields 'to have an essential or significant function/effect.' This follows a common, cross-linguistic construction (e.g., 'play a role' + an adjective) and would be readily understood by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The phrase play a vital role comes from the picture of a stage play: an actor can play a role that is small but vital for the story to work. So, to play a vital role means 'to be very important' in something.