variants
or less commonly roleplay
role-played also roleplayed; role-playing also roleplaying; role-plays also roleplays
1
: to act out the role of
2
: to represent in action
students were asked to role-play the thoughts and feelings of each character—
R. G. Lambert
R. G. Lambert
: to play a role
role-play
noun
or less commonly roleplay
plural role-plays also roleplays
I practice this with student social workers through case studies and role-play.
—Kevin Brazant, quoted in psychologytoday.com
Kevin Brazant, quoted in psychologytoday.com
Examples of role-play in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
None feels authentic, at least until a messy affair with the unsettling, slightly feral Samuel (Harris Dickinson) encourages her to try out a kind of role-play that’s wholly new.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
As the voice behind the character Xiao from the role-playing video game Genshin Impact, Berzins said she’s been invited to conventions around the world to meet with fans of her character.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
Tabletop role-playing games have been around for decades, with the first commercially available tabletop role-playing game being Dungeons & Dragons in 1974.
—Desirae Sin, Hartford Courant, 19 Dec. 2024
Monster Hunter Wilds on PC, PlayStation and Xbox Monster Hunter Wilds is an action role-playing game that's a successor of 2018's Monster Hunter: World.
—Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for role-play 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
As the voice behind the character Xiao from the role-playing video game Genshin Impact, Berzins said she’s been invited to conventions around the world to meet with fans of her character.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
Tabletop role-playing games have been around for decades, with the first commercially available tabletop role-playing game being Dungeons & Dragons in 1974.
—Desirae Sin, Hartford Courant, 19 Dec. 2024
Monster Hunter Wilds on PC, PlayStation and Xbox Monster Hunter Wilds is an action role-playing game that's a successor of 2018's Monster Hunter: World.
—Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for role-play
Dictionary Entries Near role-play
Cite this Entry
“Role-play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/role-play. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share