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
My only real concern is how newer players will handle the more old school style of Japanese role-playing games.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Atlus is currently at the forefront of a golden era for role-playing games, setting records with games like 2016’s breakout success Persona 5 and this year’s Persona 3 Reload, which became the fastest-selling game in the developer’s history within its first week.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 8 Oct. 2024
Over the previous decade, Mats had spent about 20,000 hours playing World of Warcraft, an online role-playing fantasy game.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 25 Oct. 2024
Now, Titmouse is looking to bring its own spin on the classic role-playing game.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 25 Oct. 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.
Ollie Barder, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Atlus is currently at the forefront of a golden era for role-playing games, setting records with games like 2016’s breakout success Persona 5 and this year’s Persona 3 Reload, which became the fastest-selling game in the developer’s history within its first week.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 8 Oct. 2024
Over the previous decade, Mats had spent about 20,000 hours playing World of Warcraft, an online role-playing fantasy game.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 25 Oct. 2024
Now, Titmouse is looking to bring its own spin on the classic role-playing game.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 25 Oct. 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 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share