Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to play a role

to play a role

81 2.5
To help decide what happens in a situation
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : desempeñar un papel
  • Do you think where you grew up played a role in who you are?
  • play a role in determining
  • factors play a role
  • political factors play a role

How many of them play a role in, in living cells?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • But it's true that immigration plays a role in it.

  • Mentorship can play a role in shaping a young person's career.

  • All four of those factors play a role in scale.

  • Your material conditions play a role, but not the key role.

    The Minimalists

  • Thank you for allowing me to play a role in his life.

    From Life (2018)

  • There are many factors that played a role, but I think one stands out.

    Sabine Hossenfelder

  • And ocean currents also play a role in determining what climate is.

  • I think the thesis that climate change played a role here is a fair thesis.

  • Several mechanisms could play a role in the influence of symbolic capital on health.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Stress also plays a role in shaping the epigenome.

Synonyms

to act
vsto play a role
279 1.0

Have an effect or work in a certain way

participate with broader, significant influence rather than just causing an effect
to act as
vsto play a role
199 2.6

Serve in the role of a person or thing

involve oneself to affect results rather than only serving a specific capacity
to play a part
vsto play a role
42 2.5

To act in a show or help make something happen

participate and influence situations more broadly rather than only performing duties
to have a hand in
vsto play a role
31 3.9

Help make something happen or influence how it is done

participate with significant influence on a situation
to play a vital role
vsto play a role
5 3.3

To have an important effect on how something happens

have significant influence without necessarily being essential
to play one's part
vsto play a role
3.9

Do your share of the work to help a group

participate in or influence situations rather than only doing assigned tasks

How Important

to play a role
81 2.5
to take part
169 1.4

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

play + a + role

The meaning 'to participate in or have a significant influence' is directly and compositionally derived from 'play' (to perform or produce an effect) plus 'role' (function or part), with 'a' as a neutral article. This construction is cross-linguistically common (e.g. French 'jouer un rôle', Spanish 'jugar un papel'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Play a role comes from the theatre: an actor plays a role, a character on stage, so the picture is of someone doing their part. That's why it now means 'to take part in' or 'to have an effect on' a situation.