Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of role
"The cast took on different roles, playing both heroes and villains throughout the play."
In plain English: Roles are the specific jobs or responsibilities that people have within a group or situation.
"In their new play, Sarah and Tom took on different roles that required them to memorize complex scripts."
Derived from Old French role (a roll, list), it entered English in the 16th century with the literal sense of a written list or register. The meaning evolved to denote an assigned part in a play or drama by the mid-17th century before broadening to any function or capacity.